LAUNCH AND FINAL SELECTION WORKSHOP OF STUDENTS AS PART OF THE ORPHAN CROPS PROJECT

GENERAL REPORT OF THE ORPHANCROPS PROJECT WORKSHOP AUGUST 27-29, 2024

The main objective of this workshop, which was held from August 27 to 29, 2024 at Nangui Abrogoua University, is to officially start the OPHAN CROPS project by selecting students who responded to the call for applications.

1. OPENING CEREMONY

The opening ceremony of the workshop which took place at the HAIDARA Daouda amphitheater on August 27, 2024 recorded two speeches from the following speakers :
- The main coordinator of the project (Prof KOFFI KOUAME KEVIN)
- The President of the UNA (Prof TANO YAO)

Coordinator's speech

Prof. KOFFI Kevin welcomed all the participants to this workshop for the launch and final selection of students for the ORPHAN CROPS project, which marks a crucial step in the collective commitment to promote the conservation, characterization and transformation of genetic resources of orphan crops. He also recalled that these underutilized, often unknown plants hold inestimable potential for sustainable development and food security not only in Africa but also on a global scale. He gave the objective of this workshop, which is on the one hand to officially launch the ORPHAN CROPS project, which will run from 2024 to 2027, and on the other hand to carry out the rigorous selection of 12 doctorates and 16 masters among those who responded to the call for applications. To conclude, the main coordinator of the project expressed his gratitude to the members of the organizing committee, the academic partners and all the people who contributed to the preparation of this workshop. Finally, he wished everyone every success in this workshop and fruitful discussions so that the best talents emerge to meet the challenges that await us. 

President’s speech

The President of the UNA also welcomed everyone, particularly colleagues from partner countries (Benin, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe). He stressed that the ORPHAN CROPS project is therefore a real asset for the Nangui Abrogoua University, for the Ivory Coast, for the sub-region and for Africa. This project will therefore

- strengthen scientific research in agriculture and nutrition,
- promote the valorization of orphan crops and their integration into agricultural production

systems,
- train a new generation of researchers and entrepreneurs specialized in this field,
- contribute to the food and nutritional security of the Ivorian populations and the sub-region.

He also recalled that the initiative supported by the European Union within the framework of this project will allow African universities to pool their resources to train competent executives in order to address the issue of under-exploited or almost abandoned crops. He also stressed that the project that brings us together is a good opportunity to promote and enhance these plants which, through their agronomic and nutritional potential, can contribute to food security and that Nangui Abrogoua University is happy to be associated with this initiative.

He also stressed that in view of the objectives and results expected by this project, he is particularly proud to see the students' enthusiasm for this project and that the selection that took place is an important step in the implementation of the said project because ensuring the succession of researchers is an essential path for present and future challenges.

To conclude, the President said he was convinced that the ORPHAN CROPS project will be a success and will contribute to making Nangui Abrogoua University a center of excellence in the field of sustainable agriculture and food security and will bring important results for our different countries. Finally, he renewed his availability for future actions and wished this project every success before declaring open the ORPHAN CROPS project launch workshop. 

2. PRESENTATIONS

During this workshop, 3 presentations were made. The 1st presentation made by Prof. KOFFI KEVIN focused on the general presentation of the ORPHAN project and had the theme Mobility for highly qualified scientists and entrepreneurs on orphan crops in higher education to accelerate solutions to climate change challenges in Africa. During this presentation he gave the specific objectives of the project which are

1. Train 12 PhD graduates, 32 Masters graduates, 10 university staff and 10 interns with skills in plant breeding, food technology and nutrition.

2. Harmonize training programs and research agenda on improving the orphan crop value chain in Africa.

3. Improve national, regional and international collaboration and programmatic agenda that promotes research and training on orphan crops.

At the level of the Project Beneficiaries, two target groups are considered :
Target Group (GC) 1 : Students enrolled or having obtained their degrees in one of the universities involved in the project (UNA, UAC, JKUAT, EBSU and UZ).
Target Group (GC) 2 : Students enrolled or having obtained their degrees in one of the universities of African countries other than those that are members of the consortium.

The distribution of students by country is as follows

Group 1

UNA (Nangui Abrogoua University):
ü 4 doctoral students including 2 incoming and 2 outgoing. ü 11 master's students including 4 outgoing and 7 incoming.

UAC (Abomey Calavi University)
ü 5 doctoral students including 2 incoming and 3 outgoing. ü 11 master students including 5 outgoing and 6 incoming.

JKUAT (Jomo Kenyatta University)
ü 5 doctoral students including 3 incoming and 2 outgoing. ü 10 master students including 4 outgoing and 6 incoming. 

ESBU (Ebonyi University)
ü 4 doctoral students including 2 incoming and 2 outgoing. ü 11 master students including 4 outgoing and 7 incoming.

UZ (University of Zimbabwe)
ü 4 doctoral students including 2 incoming and 2 outgoing. ü 10 master students including 4 outgoing and 6 incoming.

Group 2

There are 11 master students and 2 doctoral students who are all outgoing.

NB : 70% of the masters and doctorates that will be selected will be in target group 1 and 30% in target group 2.

The 2nd presentation made by Prof. NADIA focused on the selection method and the assessment of the call for applications. The call was launched on May 24, 2024 and ended on July 12, 2024. The eligibility criteria focused on the following points:

• ü  be competent in plant breeding/crop sciences, nutrition and food technology ;

• ü  at the time of the scholarship application, candidates must be nationals of an African

  country and reside there ;

• ü  be enrolled/admitted or have obtained a degree in a higher education institution of

  TG1 or TG2 universities ;

• ü  be nationals of an African country (including North Africa) and reside there ;

• ü  be registered/admitted or have obtained a degree in a higher education institution in

  Africa.

  It should be noted that at the end of the call, 154 applications were received, 37% of which came from G2 and 63% from G1. Among the applications received, 79% were men and 21% were women. Finally, there were 73% of candidates for the PhD and 27% for the Master.

  A total of 18 countries participated in the call. These are Benin, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi and Niger. The countries with the most applications were Benin, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Finally, the 3rd presentation made by Prof. KOFFI KEVIN focused on minor crops, issues and perspectives in the context of climate change in Africa. The points that were discussed were as follows:

ü Issues of preservation and development of minor crops
The main challenges are therefore to preserve this cultural diversity, to strengthen the identity and belonging of communities, to transmit this unique knowledge, to promote sustainable development and to energize territories. This requires proactive public policies as well as the commitment of local stakeholders.

ü Prospects for development of minor crops in the context of climate change The promotion of minor crops can thus contribute to the resilience of food systems in the face of climate change challenges while preserving agrobiological diversity.

ü Main aspects of genetic and agronomic research on minor crops
Research on minor crops aims to better understand them, promote them and integrate them into sustainable food systems while addressing the challenges of food security, resilience to climate change and cultural diversity.

3. EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS OF PRESELECTED CANDIDATES

All applications that could not be analyzed were evaluated on site by the members of the consortium and by the UNA evaluators. These files were 40 in total. After arbitration, the candidates who obtained an average of at least 60/100 were preselected. Thus, we had 76 candidates at the PhD level and 11 at the Master level who were preselected.

At the PhD level, 12 candidates were selected and 8 were put on the waiting list. Among the 12 selected candidates, 6 candidates were interviewed. Thus, after a 10-minute presentation by each candidate, discussions took place between the candidates and the members of the consortium.

At the Master level, 3 candidates were selected and 2 were on the waiting list. It should be remembered that at the Masters level there were no interviews. 

CONCLUSION

This workshop for the launch and final selection of students within the framework of the ORPHAN project was an opportunity for all participants to meet up to discuss and exchange ideas. Very in-depth discussions took place, which allowed each participant to come away truly enriched by the knowledge and experiences of the others. This workshop took place in a very good and friendly atmosphere. After the interviews, 12 PhD candidates and 3 Master candidates were selected.

We would like to warmly thank all our foreign partners who made the trip to contribute to the smooth running of this workshop. Thank you to all those who responded to our invitation. Thank you to the Organizing Committee.

Done in Abidjan, 08/29/2024

Dr (MC) KONAN Brou Roger; General Rapporteur of the workshop