Presentation by Jan Stas, Czech University of Life Sciences and lead organisation on behalf of EFARD 16 June 2022, Brussels, Belgium. EFARD Annual Hybrid Meeting. “EFARD for Inclusiveness and Transformative Learning” The European Forum on Agricultural Research for Development is a multi-actor platform which provides opportunity for dialogue on issues of strategic importance for European agricultural and research and non-research actors. Each year, the platform members meet to discuss strategies for possible (re)alignment of EFARD’s priorities with those of key partners such as the European Commission (EC), the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR) and partners in the South.

1. czu.cz
University full of life
23/06/22
prof. dr. ir. Patrick Van Damme
Dean, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences,
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Presented by Ing. Jan Staš
Collective Action (CA)
Draft Concept Note (CN)

2. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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Why is CZU/FTA the ideal partner to
execute?
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
 University CZU Prague: in Czech, it is an agricultural university, in English, it is a life science university
 within CZU, FTA is the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, a reference in the broad domain of tropical agriculture, both at the research and
training level with a long-standing (> 60 years) building capacity centring on tropical agriculture sensu lato both in its formal campus
setting in Prague (academic, ex-cathedra teaching, but also virtual/online, and blended), as more hands-on in the field/Global South
 specific course programmes, including summer courses, are tailormade to the specific needs of diverse groups/communities of
practice and learning and provide science- and practice-based training and capacity building
 experienced - and currently engaged - in several initiatives on developing and monitoring university-without-walls-like and distance
education initiatives, offering e-learning, mobile learning, micro-learning, moodles, and hybrid/online study programmes that bring
together multiple partners
 FTA’s focus is not only on providing academic training, but also on equipping students, and any person wanting to acquire knowledge,
with skills and attitudes that will help them in their endeavours for lifelong learning
 FTA has programs where students senso lato acquire the right analytical and science-based/focused attitudes in a multicultural,
gendered and challenging environment, FTA has experience with non-traditional education programs that use community facilities as
learning resources.
 given the CA’s overall objective, a university can and should be at the nexus of the initiative, leading it, as a primus inter pares, in close
collaboration with other networks of universities (e.g. RUFORUM, AgriNatura,…) and under the guidance of EFARD and GFAR

3. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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Objectives:
 Collaborative Management of Innovation - more a transversal
methodological approach dealing with the way knowledge and innovation
are generated than a thematic one
 Train youth to prepare them as drivers of new agriculture and agribusiness
enterprises and rural transformation,
 through skills, entrepreneurship and vocational training (and
transformational learning processes) and by promoting
Soft/Life/Relational/Transdisciplinary skills of students to engage in co-
research and co-innovation as a collective modality of generating knowledge
for pro-poor and by-poor development
 Transformation of formal higher education set-ups and contents need to
match the new skills required for conducting the type of transdisciplinary
work which is implied by co-research and co-innovation processes
 Capacity building along the agricultural value chains (production, input
supply, value addition, marketing,… but also credit provision, enabling policy
environment)
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)

4. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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Soft skills for envisioned future
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
• Leadership, Versatility and agility, Communication skills, Sense for/of synthesis and problem analysis (come to the core of a problem 0)
• Entrepreneurship, Empathy, Problem-solving, Logical thinking, Understanding technology and processing
• …, but also
• Understanding and critical use of social media, critical analysis and
• Understanding of (in)formal information sources (at all value chain levels, but also for social interaction)
• Use of social media in communication and interaction with stakeholders along the whole value chain
• Thematic fields that will/should be offered (not limitative):
• Technical, with emphasis on experiential learning
• Business management
• Communication skills
• Entrepreneurship
• Leadership
• Marketing
• Understanding the business environment: policies, regulations,…
• Microfinance: saving and credit systems
• …and more

5. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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Model graduate
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
Model graduateis a person who is
 continuously learning,
 proactive, ethical and capable of conceptualizing new business and investment opportunities
and
 engaged with communities and the industry, while aware of the continuously changing socio-
economic and political environment
Graduates will
 develop abilities to leverage on a diverse range of innovative skills to address complex
interrelated challenges, analyze gaps and solve problems.
 master how to do all of that as member of a team, being capable of negotiation and conflict
management, fully understanding group dynamics and what is needed to work with socio-
economically diverse, gendered and international groups.

6. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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University without walls
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
this could be reached through…
 a, i.e. a ‘learning institution’ (as opposed to a center of teaching) that offers dynamic packages –
and not only one - of experiential problem-driven/solving learning, joint multi-stakeholder
student mentorship, entrepreneurial grants, internships, conferences and seminars, arts, theatre
and music, lab experimentations, community engagement and service, and others
 the core of this transformational learning is to create open, living and learning environments, i.e.
environments where students find every element that is needed for their holistic development
 this development does not only refer to the academic aspect focused on acquiring the most up-
to-date technical knowledge but extends to students’ physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and
professional development, with specific strategies to address each.

7. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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2-tier practical implementation
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
1. Institutional aspect of the approach
 need to secure policy/governmental support of the responsible ministries/education
authorities together with community buy-in, student support and changed mindsets
 success will depend on partnerships with other universities, the business community, the
government and the local communities and organizations
 exchange of experiences, complementarity, knowledge sharing, resource sharing and other
types of collective actions are all vital to participating stakeholders.
This should be sustained and maintained by making the necessary changes in rules, regulations,
structures and governance to support the change.

8. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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2-tier practical implementation
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
2. at the learners’ level
 internships will increase the employability of the graduate (and advance the university‘s
reputation)
 students will be working directly with farmers/producers, but also with all other operators
along the agricultural value chain, gaining an understanding of their lives and challenges,
acting as advisers based on their learning but also gaining themselves from the knowledge of
farmers and experimenting together to find solutions to real-world problems
 faculty members also should involve themselves with the same stakeholders. By doing so,
they will regain their position in society as their product becomes even more appreciated and
valued.
 Capacity development at the institutional and individual levels and the adoption of a learning
organization model with continuous transformation through integrated learning are keys to the success
of the model.

9. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
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Proposed implementation plan
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
1. Initial consultancies/workshops and equitable
dialogues
2. A continent-wide internet survey about willingness to
participate in CA’s activities
3. A practical plan of operations that will, amongst others,
define the concrete countries x institutions where the
test activities will be put on the ground.
4. A final workshop – bringing together all major
stakeholders
5. Facilitation and concrete implementation through
CZU’s day-to-day project management

10. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
czu.cz
10
Management
Collective Action (CA) Draft Concept Note (CN)
to be assisted by a steering committee, consisting of representatives of CZU, GFAR, EFARD, RUFORUM
and the multiple stakeholder platform (1 per organisation), will regularly meet and discuss progress
against operations plan x milestones discussed
other modalities to be suggested by the audience !

11. Thank you
for your attention
Thank you all for the attention!