On 24th September 2018, Makerere University and Uganda Agribusiness Alliance Limited (UAA) in partnership with Kyambogo University co-hosted a National Roundtable Discussion on “the State of Agricultural Education, Agri-food Systems and Youth Unemployment” which took place at Makerere University. As a way forward, the participants set up a taskforce whose terms of reference were, among others, to put together a proposal for establishing the agri-food systems education platform that would bring together all public and private sector actors in Uganda’s agri-food system and education sectors committed to the development of competitive human resources for the agri-food value chain.

In the follow up meeting, ‘Stakeholders’ Feedback Workshop on Agricultural Education, Agri-food Systems and Youth Unemployment’, held at the Makerere University Senior Common Room on 18th March, 2019, stakeholders agreed to formally establish the platform which they agreed would be called Agri-Food Systems Education Network (ASEN) and selected Uganda Agribusiness Alliance (UAA) to act as the host organization of the network for the next three years and support its Steering Committee.

The Agri-food Systems Education Network (ASEN) is a multi-stakeholder partnership comprising of institutions that are committed to strengthening educational ecosystems which support the development of appropriately skilled human capital for the Ag-Industry in Uganda (hereinafter referred to as the Ag-education ecosystem).

ASEN’s members and partners include educational institutions, agribusinesses, farmers’ organizations and cooperatives, financial institutions, development agencies, foundations, civil society, government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), or technical assistance providers. All partners have a direct or indirect stake in the identified areas of ASEN’s work and stand to gain from working together. They work through shared learning, peer support, frank and open dialogue, shared advocacy efforts, shared resource mobilization efforts, and facilitated coordination of action on the ground.