Deans of Agriculture lead in Transforming University–Industry Collaboration in Kenya

From Leadership Dialogue to National Action

Agriculture remains Kenya’s economic backbone, feeding millions, creating jobs, and sustaining rural livelihoods. Yet for years, a familiar gap persisted: universities trained graduates, while industry struggled to find job-ready skills.

In 2024, a national effort was launched to narrow that disconnect in a visible and coordinated way. At the center of this shift was the University Deans of Agriculture Forum, a leadership platform that moved collaboration beyond isolated engagements and into sustained, action-oriented dialogue.

 The Deans’ Forum: Where Change Began

The University Deans of Agriculture Forum, launched in 2024 with support from UPLIFT‑Ag project and the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET), isn’t just another gathering. Through 2025, it evolved into a regular, action‑oriented conversation space where academic leaders, industry players, and government began shaping practical solutions together.

By year’s end, the forum had onboarded leaders from 25 universities teaching agriculture across Kenya (Box 1). The forum created a rare space where senior academic leaders could speak collectively rather than institution by institution. The Dean’s forum has held meeting with industry networks facilitated by the Agriculture Sector Network (ASNET) and government officials to talk about real challenges, including:

• Aligning curricula with labour market needs
• Co-designing training with industry input
• Preparing graduates for a rapidly changing agribusiness sector

What makes the forum distinctive is its consistency and intent: discussions have not been abstract, but anchored in real sector demands and policy realities.

 From Academic Dialogue to National Policy Engagement

A defining moment that stood out in November 2025 was when members of the Deans’ Forum joined hands with the President’s Economic Transformation Secretariat in a session that marked a shift in how universities position themselves from mere observers to contributors of solutions through impactful agriculture policy formulation.

Together, deans, policy makers and industry representatives explored ideas and co‑developed joint proposals for promoting agriculture as an engine for jobs, enterprise, and national growth.

This was more than a meeting; it marked a shift toward university leadership feeding into national strategy, acknowledging that universities must be part of the solution, rather than spectators during policy discussions.

 Extending the Conversation: The National Agribusiness Summit 2025

The influence of the Deans’ Forum became even more visible during the 2025 National Agribusiness Summit held in October in Nairobi. The Summit, repositioned as a public‑private dialogue platform, brought together government, private sector actors, youth, counties, development partners, and academia to shape the next wave of agricultural transformation in Kenya.

Under the theme “From Promise to Action: Advancing Agribusiness through Dialogue and Innovation,” the summit recognized that agriculture is no longer just about production, it is about value addition, investment, digital solutions, and youth employment.

Unlike past summits, the 2025 event wasn’t just talk, it had policy commitment sessions, executive roundtables, an agribusiness expo, and the National Agribusiness Excellence Awards that celebrated innovators and leaders across the sector.

At the summit, national leaders emphasized that agriculture must feed the economy and drive enterprise. Kenya’s top policymakers reiterated that building efficient value chains, investing in technology, and strengthening public‑private partnerships are central to the country’s economic transformation plan.

This creates a unique moment where policy dialogue intersects with action, and the Deans’ Forum sits right at that convergence, bringing academic insight into the national spotlight.