The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) will join over 175 universities at the 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), scheduled for 1–5 December 2025 in Botswana.

The meeting is themed “Positioning Africa’s universities and the Higher Education Sector to effectively impact development processes on the continent,”.

The AGM will bring together more than 500 participants, including university leaders, policymakers, researchers, students, private sector actors, and development partners from across Africa and beyond.

According to RUFORUM, the AGM is being organised in collaboration with the Government of Botswana and the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN).

“The AGM will serve as a platform for strategic dialogue and collective action to strengthen the role of African universities in delivering sustainable development outcomes,” reads part of a statement from RUFORUM.

RUFORUM Executive Secretary, Professor Patrick Okori, said the AGM comes at a critical time for higher education in Africa.

“Universities are central to Africa’s development and by focusing on collaboration, science, and skills, this year’s AGM will help shape the future of higher education to be more responsive, inclusive, and impactful,” he said.

MUST TAGDEV 2.0 Programme Coordinator, Dr Petros Chigwechokha, said the university expects to benefit significantly from its participation.

“We are expecting to showcase what we are doing in Malawi and also appreciate what colleagues across Africa are doing. In so doing, there will be exchange of ideas and knowledge,” he said.

“We will also have an opportunity to establish collaborations and partnerships with universities and research institutions that share our common interests.”

Apart from the TAGDEV 2.0 programme, MUST is also running the AgrGrow Project and has already benefitted from several RUFORUM initiatives, including exchange visits and scholarships.