I welcome you to RUFORUM’s 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held 25-27 October 2017 in Lilongwe, Malawi. Since the signing of the MoU between RUFORUM and the African Union Commission (AUC) in 2014, which requested RUFORUM to play a greater role and provide support at the continental level, particularly in the implementation of the Science Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STISA) 2024, RUFORUM has continued to grow.