Rwanda: women's leadership program in agriculture

From November 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015, Michigan State University subcontracted Washington State University together with the University of Rwanda (UR)  in order to deliver a gender sensitive Masters of Science in Agribusiness program at UR. The project had three specific objectives, to strengthen the human and institutional capacity of UR in teaching and applied research in agricultural sciences; to promote and support women's access to graduate education in agricultural sciences; and to extend UR's knowledge about, and women's expertise in, agricultural sciences to the community.

Through the project, a gender-sensitive Master of Science program in Agribusiness at  the National University of Rwanda (NUR) that prepares students for careers and leadership roles is established and offered, pedagogical skills of NUR faculty to teach the gender-sensitive agricultural sciences curriculum and supervise agricultural sciences research are enhanced, applied learning and research opportunities for agricultural science students and academic staff at NUR are increased, barriers to women pursuing advanced degrees in agricultural sciences are reduced, and extension activities improve technical knowledge among external stakeholders.