The Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development held a strategy retreat from 11–12 April 2023 at the Future Africa campus. This was a great opportunity for the department to carve a new path within the UP and NAS faculty strategies and ‘Reimagining UP’. “We had great interactions, lively and robust debates for the two days”, says the Acting HoD, Dr Selma Karuaihe. The strategy workshop was led by Dr Brian Chicksen, through a design-thinking approach to strategy formulation.

The department is grateful for the opportunity offered by the Faculty through the Dean, Prof. Barend Erasmus. As a department, we are enthusiastic and look forward to the future as a lively and engaged department, with a vision to become greater again with an impact on teaching and learning, collaboration, and agricultural policy through a human-centered approach.