This is general introduction about YPARD (Young Professionals' Platform for Agricultural Research for Development) and how to be engaged with YPARD's activities. More details: www.ypard.net Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/YPARD Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ypard/158665070860599 Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2964747&trk=hb_side_g

1. A movement by youth, for youth, for
agricultural development

2. What is YPARD?
A global platform of young professionals under 40 years of
age active in Agricultural Research for Development (ARD)

3. Why YPARD?
 Insufficient participation of young professionals in
dialogues addressing critical development issues
• Limited access to professional opportunities for youth
• Absence of a support network or platform to voice
young professionals’ ideas, opinions and concerns
• Declining interest in agricultural education among
youth
• The need for sustainable ARD

4. Objectives
1. To facilitate the exchange of information and
knowledge among young professionals across
disciplines, professions, age and regions
2. To broaden opportunities for young professionals to
contribute to strategic ARD policy debates
3. To promote agriculture among young people
4. To facilitate access to resources and capacity building
opportunities

5. Our Stakeholders
• Universities
• Research Institutions
• Donor organizations
• NGOs/CSOs
• Government agencies
• Farmer organizations
• Private sector

6. Distribution:
+4500 members from 117countries with
+2700 subscribers to the mailing list

7. Coordination offices
at
at
at
Global Coordination Unit at
+ we have a YPARD Europe from January 2012!

8. What will you gain from being a YPARD
member?
 Information on funding opportunities, jobs, news in ARD
and more!
 YPARD newsletter to keep up-to-date on activities of
interest to YPs in ARD
 Online interaction with YPs around the globe
 Opportunities to apply to represent YP interests at
meetings and workshops
 Getting involved in the peer2peer mentoring programme
 Becoming a representative and building your professional
experience
 Actively contributing to a more dynamic ARD!

9. Some YPARD activities
1. Facilitate exchange of information and knowledge among young
professionals across disciplines, professions, age and regions.
 Online platform at www.ypard.net enables young professionals to
share information, engage in online discussions and blog about your
experiences
 Development of a pilot peer2peer mentoring programme will
connect young professionals around the world
2. Broaden opportunities for young professionals to contribute to
strategic ARD policy debates.
 Have enabled YPs to attend and contribute to several events
including: CGIAR 2007, 2009 Science Forum, Y. Researchers Seminar
in GCARD, ARIMNet, AfricaAdapt, EU Forum for Rural Dev., Web 2.0
training, Share Fair, etc

10. Activities, cont’d
3. Promote agriculture among young people.
 Engage in studies to examine the declining interest of YPs in ARD,
eg. YPARD is engaged in a study to develop a series of profiles on
the ‘new young professional in ARD’ to inform the agricultural
curriculum debate
4. Facilitate access to resource and capacity building opportunities
 This includes organising capacity building opportunities in
collaboration with partners: mapping training, workshops on grant
writing , on agro-entrepreneurship and training for regional
representatives
 Information services to members: newsletter, funding
opportunities and information relevant to YPs in ARD

11. Success story:
Collaborative GCARD2 Youth
 YPARD = International Youth voice
 GFAR = strategic and policy support
 CGIAR = capacity building in social reporting
 CTA = networking for more Youth on board
 Uruguay committee = “Local” Youth participation
 => +30 YP having an impact on GCARD2 outcomes,
reaching out and getting online participants involved,
and building capacities in social reporting (ICT4D)!

12. What else? We‘re looking for...
 More members!
 Expanding YP members in different stakeholder groups
 Increasing institutional linkages
 More young professionals driving the process – ideas
coming from a local level
 More dynamic online discussions
 More young faces and voices at key ARD debates
 Innovative and youth led ARD!

13. and
Sign up now ! @ www.ypard.net

24. Thank You!