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The University of Rwanda (UR), College of Agriculture, Animal sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) in collaboration with the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and Texas A&M
University will be hosting an international training workshop on the Integrated Decision Support System (IDSS) from February 20 to24, 2023 in Musanze district, Northern Province of Rwanda. The training is supported by the Feed
the Future Livestock Systems Innovation Lab (LSIL) and Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation (ILSSI) under the leadership of the Texas A&M University. The IDSS is part of research conducted under the ILSSI project at Texas A&M
University in collaboration with three CGIAR centers : International Water Management Institute (IWMI), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
The training will be conducted by a team of scientists from Texas A&M University. The training will focus on the application of the IDSS models to analyze livestock systems, crop production, and natural resources management.
Participants in the training are selected among graduate students, scientists, and professional staff with backgrounds in economics, agronomy, water resources, hydrology, and engineering. Trainees will be introduced to three models that
make up the IDSS, which are integrated to provide a holistic assessment of the impact of alternative interventions in food and agriculture production. The models included in this training are :
▪ Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender Model (APEX, https://epicapex.tamu.edu/apex/) - a
farm/field scale model for hydrologists, agronomists, and soil scientists to evaluate crop production and
environmental sustainability
▪ Farm Simulation Model (FARMSIM, https://afpc.tamu.edu/) - a socio-economic model for agricultural
economists, farm managers and other social scientists with background in economics or statistics
▪ Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT, https://swat.tamu.edu) - a watershed scale model for hydrologists, agricultural engineers, and other related water resource professionals.
The training on each model will be conducted in parallel, except on the morning of 1st and entire 5th day, where all participants will be together to understand the model integration and learn from case studies.
Participants must choose one of the models for the detailed training from the afternoon of the 1st day to end of the 4th day.
We hereby invite faculty, graduate students, scientists, technical advisors and other practitioners from universities,ministries, agencies, research institutions, private sector, and other organizations to apply for the training.
Applications should be made in writing through an e-mail to Dr. Mukangango Marguerite at mukangango2@gmail.com.
The deadline for application is February 1, 2023. Successful applicants will be notified by February 6, 2023.
At the end of the training, participants who will successfully complete the training will be awarded a certificate of completion. For gender balance reasons, female researchers are strongly encouraged to apply.
Training materials, lunch and other refreshments will be provided free of charge by training organizers. However, participants are expected to cover their own transport and costs of living in Musanze throughout the training period. In addition, candidates should come with their own laptop computers.
For further information,please contact us via mukangango2@gmail.com or call +250 788545889