MISSIONS AND GOALS

GCHERA brings together its Higher Education Associations in support of a mission to encourage mutual understanding and global co-operation among higher education associations and their constituent member universities, provide leadership in education, research, innovation and outreach in agricultural and life sciences and to be a catalyst for the sharing and adoption of best practices across its membership.

The agricultural and life science universities and faculties have the mission to support the development of the bioeconomy: the production of biomass and its utilisation in the food and non-food value chains, with due regard to the maintenance of a sustainable environment and an integrated rural economy.

The focus of the agricultural and life science universities in addressing the COP21 Paris Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be summarised as securing:

food and nutritional security and safety

sustainable management of the natural resources

development and utilisation of bio renewable resources

enhancement of the economic viability of the food and non-food value chains, and reduction of poverty.

The agricultural and life science universities will make this contribution through education, research, innovation and outreach.

The universities aim to provide graduates with the knowledge, skills, ethical foundation, and creativity to be successful leaders in industry, government, NGOs and civil society who not only act in specialist fields but also have interdisciplinary competencies to be effective leaders in the wider bioeconomy.

The universities also have the responsibility to conduct science driven research, and to be innovative in applying the outcomes of that research which will underpin the resolution of the challenges set out by COP21 and the SDGs through effective knowledge transfer and capacity building. In this regard the universities and faculties will be effective players in collaboration with industry, NGOs, government and civil society.

GOVERNANCE

GCHERA was reconstituted in 2011 as the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences. Each Higher Education Association represents its member universities either on a regional or national basis. Previous to 2011 membership had been on a single university basis.

MEMBERSHIP

The GCHERA Higher Education Association members are shown below categorised by the regions of the world.  Each Higher Education Association member represents their higher education members either on a regional or national basis.

AFRICA

ANAFE African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education

RUFORUM Regional Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture

SAALSDA South African Agriculture and Life Sciences Deans Association

AMERICAS

ACFAVM Association of Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine 

ABEAS Brazilian Association for Higher Agricultural Education

AMEAS Asociación Mexicana de Educación Agrícola Superior

APLU Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities

ASIA

AAACU Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities

CASCADE Central Asia and South Caucuses Agricultural University Consortium for Development

EPC of CAASS Education Professional Committee of the Chinese Association of Agricultural Science Societies

IAUA Indian Agricultural Universities Association

SACA Society of Arab Colleges of Agriculture

EUROPE

ICA Association for European Life Science Universities

AGREENIUM French Agricultural, Veterinary and Forestry Institute

OCEANIA

ACDA Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

In those instances that there is no appropriate higher education association to which a single higher education institution may belong, that institution is eligible for membership of the Confederation as an Associate Member without voting rights. Such membership applications shall be considered for approval by the Board on an individual case by case basis.

EARTH University, Costa Rica

State Agrarian and Engineering University in Podilya, Ukraine

Technological University of Uruguay, Uruguay

Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon