History

The concept of the Global Open Food and Agriculture University has evolved over time through discussion in various fora. At the February 2003 meeting of the Center Directors Committee (CDC), IFPRI proposed the concept of an open university under the CGIAR system. The CDC asked IFPRI to produce a concept note and submit it to the CDC for comments. IFPRI produced and revised the concept note based on feedback and presented it at the May 2003 CDC meeting in The Hague, The Netherlands. At this meeting, the CDC suggested that a task force, involving all of the CGIAR Centers, be formed to develop the concept further and obtain another round of suggestions from various CGIAR Centers involved in distance learning activities. IFPRI was designated as the CGIAR Center for implementing this program. Currently, there is a 22-member task force from the CGIAR Centers participating in the development of the Global Open Food and Agriculture University. After comments and suggestions were received from the CGIAR Centers, IFPRI organized a program development workshop in July 2003 with selected stakeholders, national partners, and CGIAR Centers. The CDC requested that IFPRI take responsibility for developing a program document. In October 2003, a draft program document was presented at the CDC and the CGIAR Annual General Meeting (AGM) meetings in Nairobi, Kenya and the Executive Committee meeting of the CGIAR in May 2004.

In early 2004, there were several consultative meetings with potential partners and distance education institutions. The Task Force also met on a virtual platform in May 2004 to further develop the concept and discuss the initial implementation plans. From March 2004 to August 2004, three preliminary technical needs assessments were undertaken in Eastern and Southern Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia on postgraduate agricultural education. The results of these assessments were presented at a dialogue with partners that was held on August 26, 2004. A Task Force business meeting preceded this dialogue. On October 28, 2004, this program was officially launched at the CGIAR Annual General Meeting in Mexico City. Following these meetings, it was decided that this Program will initially develop a M.Sc. in Agro-ecology and a M.Sc. program in Agricultural Economics.

In the beginning of 2005, a review of the top 10-15 M.Sc. programs in Agro-ecology and Agricultural Economics at North American and European Universities was undertaken as well as a cataloguing of CGIAR teaching and learning materials in these two subject areas. On March 7, 2005, the first MoU was signed between IFPRI and the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). On March 18, 2005, a meeting with 6 potential national partners and IGNOU was convened to discuss collaboration. As of March 2005, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) will lead the M.Sc. program in Agro-ecology in South Asia, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) will lead the agro-ecology M.Sc. program in North Africa, and IFPRI will lead the M.Sc. program in Agricultural Economics.