African BlendEd Course: novel pedagogies boosting employability and socio-economic prosperity

 

Project period:  October 2023 to September 2026

Project summary

The European universities in the partnership created a blended mobility challenge-based project course unit in 2008. Students from the partner universities are selected to develop an innovative, interdisciplinary project proposed by a company. ATHENA got a EU Capacity Building grant to implement the project ABC BlendEd.  It  has a dual purpose, (1) to adapt the  BlendEd challenge-base project course unit to the reality of African universities in the field of Agriculture and (2) to create a BlendEd workgroup that will exploit the experience gained in developing BlendEd courses in Europe and Africa  and stimulate the creation of similar approaches in other continents aiming to create a global BlendEd community linking students, teachers, researchers and companies through world-wide joint courses.
The ABC BlendEd consortium has 11 full partners, including 3 ATHENA partners (Polytechnic Institute of Porto, University of Siegen and Hellenic Mediterranean University), the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture RUFORUM, Odisee, Belgium, and 6 African universities, from Nigeria: University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal University of Technology, Minna, from Mozambique: Eduardo Mondlane University, Zambeze University, from Uganda: Makerere University, Soroti University; plus an associated partner, the Portuguese Association of Young Farmers.

Objectives:

• Foster student employability and generate added value to the local communities and local economy by designing, fine tuning and deploying a BlendEd project course suited for African universities in the field of Agriculture
• Stimulate the effective adoption of BlendEd courses by all its key stakeholders, students, teachers, and beneficiary companies, by developing the required content, infrastructure and training.
• Promote multiplier effects and mainstream the adoption of BlendEd courses in Africa through a Community of Practice empowering local stakeholders.

Assessment

Students from African Universities are assessed based on different factors, e.g., teamwork, peer-to-peer assessment, individual contribution in process and product, documentation and report, (midterm and final) presentations.

Benefits for participating students

• Improve your technical skills and give a boost to your employability
• Work in an international and interdisciplinary team and improve your personal skills
• Gain experience in project work with a company
• Get ECTS for the project (e.g. 6, 9, 15, 20 ECTS)
• Certificate upon successful completion of the project

Important dates

• May 2024: Workshop addressed to local stakeholders (farmers, companies, and universities), Kampala, Uganda
• July 2024: Working meeting, promote interest in local observers from remote areas, Minna, Nigeria
• December 2024: RUFORUM AGM 2024 workshop on the ABC BlendEd paradigm and results, 
• February 2025: Workshop addressed to local stakeholders (farmers, companies, and universities), Nsukka, Nigeria
• June 2025: Workshop with farmers, companies, and universities willing to join, Beira, Mozambique

Funding

Students' travel and accommodation during Kick-off and Final Meetings are funded by ABC BlendEd.

Application

Students from African Partner Universities who are motivated to work in an international team and to enhance their technical and social skills can join the program amd contact their supervisors.