The Rural Symposium is an annual opportunity for University of Guelph graduate students to showcase their rural research to policymakers, policy analysts, and program staff from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The event facilitates knowledge mobilization and network building between graduate students at the University of Guelph, researchers, and OMAFRA. 

The event is co-hosted by the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs.