Education for Sustainable Development in Africa Training Leaders for Sustainable Development in Africa
Education for Sustainable Development in Africa Training Leaders for Sustainable Development
in Africa
Programme Universities
University of Nairobi
Kenyatta University
University of Ibadan
University of Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah Universit y of Science and Technology
University for Development Studies
Universit y of Zambia
University of Cape Town
United Nations University
Institute for Sustainability and Peace
Message from the Director of United Nations University Institute
for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP)
United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) was established in January 2009. As one of its first undertakings, in February 2009, ISP convened a consultation conference on the role of higher education in Africa with the participation of 15 African and 15
Japanese and international scholars. Out of this conference came the idea of the ESDA Project – a project to establish Master’s Programmes for sustainable development in Africa to be jointly managed by leading African universities with the support of UNU, UNESCO, UNEP, and UN-HABITAT, as well as Japanese and other universities outside Africa. Four years hence, and after countless efforts to develop and test the programme contents for greater relevance, more visible utility and practical feasibility, ESDA Master’s Programmes are now ready for on-site implementation at eight African partner universities starting in the Autumn of 2013. I am also pleased to inform you that ESDA is more than just an innovation in professional education in Africa. It also encourages field-based research by Next Generation Researchers, which should lead to provision of new learning materials for postgraduate education. Greater exposure of students and faculty to developmental reality in the field may also mean increased opportunities for the individuals, organizations and communities on the receiving end to benefit from the knowledge and experiences offered by the universities. In presenting this booklet containing a brief overview of the ESDA programmes, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all the support which has been provided to sustain this initiative, including, in particular, from the Government of Japan, the Swedish International Development Agency and the African Development Bank.
Kazuhiko Takeuchi Director, United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) Senior Vice-Rector, United Nations University
Message from the Chair of ESDA Consortium
The challenge of sustainable development for Africa is very demanding.
We must achieve enough economic growth to rid the continent of poverty
and hunger, promote good governance and social cohesion while
preserving its rich cultural diversity and traditions, and make sure that we
hand over to the next generation a well-managed resource base and an
ecologically sound environment – and we must advance on all these fronts
at the same time. In meeting this enormous challenge, African universities
jointly have a particularly important role to play as the intellectual
infrastructure of the continent, on the basis of which we should, above all,
nurture the next generation of leaders for Africa’s sustainable development. Education for
Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA) is a joint undertaking of eight African partner
universities and the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (ISP) to
initiate three Master’s Programmes on sustainable urban development, sustainable and
integrated rural development, and management of mineral resources, respectively. With the fieldbased and problem-solving oriented approach of our programmes, we hope to generate a new
breed of African professionals who will work for greater social relevance and towards creating a
lasting impact on the developmental reality of Africa. Stephen Simukanga Vice-Chancellor, University of Zambia
Overview of the ESDA
― How the programme was developed
Since October 2008, UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) has worked with a
group of leading African universities to explore the possibility of jointly establishing a postgraduate
programme on sustainable development in Africa in order to shape a new generation of professionals
to face the challenges of Africa’s sustainable development, with three-year seed funding
support from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
This project, entitled ‘Education for Sustainable Development in Africa’ (ESDA), has been promoted
by three Working Groups: the first on Integrated Rural Development, the second on Sustainable
Urban Development and the third on Management of Mineral Resources. The project
was based on UNU’s network with higher education institutions in Africa and elsewhere which are
active in this area, including international organizations such as UNESCO, UNEP and UN HABITAT.
The process of implementing the project was carried out by the ESDA steering committee,
which included members of African partner universities as well as cooperating universities and
organizations from Africa, Asia and Europe. After three years of solid work by the partner universities and institutions including UNESCO, UNEP and UN-HABITAT as well as selected Japanese and Northern European universities, the project has developed Master’s-level education programmes covering the three areas mentioned above.
― Current status of the programme
After the development of the three ESDA postgraduate programmes, efforts have been made by
each university to ensure that the programmes are implemented in the 2013-14 academic year
with support from cooperating institutions. From the beginning, it has been assumed that ESDA
should, upon completion of its Project Phase, transit to a new Programme Phase. Whether or not
this transition will take place successfully will depend on a host of factors, including commitment
on the part of the leadership of the African partner universities to implement the programme,
readiness of the faculty members of these universities to tackle the practical requirements for the
programme’s initiation such as working out inter-university collaboration arrangements, availability
of technical support from principal stakeholders, as well as financial support from both local
and international sources.
In order to implement, monitor and evaluate the ESDA programmes, the eight African universities
and the UNU, which co-signed the MOU for implementing the ESDA Master’s Programmes, established the ESDA Consortium as a steering mechanism to: (1) consider and take necessary decisions on overall direction, strategic issues, programmes, plans, project activities, budget and
other matters relating to the ESDA as a whole; (2) review the working of the ESDA Consortium,
including the status of joint activities among the partner universities and of cooperation with the
Supporting Organizations; and (3) to consider and agree on the calendar of activities for the
ESDA Programmes. In addition, the ESDA partners have established the Next Generation Researchers Group – composed of young faculty members -who have elaborated a common research
agenda for joint pursuit in support of the ESDA Master’s Programmes on sustainable development
in Africa. The group members are expected to assume a key role in implementing the
field-based and problem-solving oriented component of the ESDA curriculums.
― Distinguishing features of the ESDA Programme
The ESDA Programme is characterized by a number
of unique and innovative features, which may be
summarised as follows:
(1) Programme ownership by leading African universities collaborating for impact: The ESDA Programme has been carried out by a group of likeminded African universities which are intent upon establishing a common postgraduate programme on sustainable development in Africa.
(2) Improving the existing postgraduate programmes of partner universities rather than creating
a totally new programme: The ESDA Programme has created concrete modalities for inter-university
sharing of complementary strengths among the partner universities in order to enrich the existing
programmes of the respective universities with improved curricular construct and enhanced instructional capacity.
(3) Emphasis on field-oriented programmes designed to strengthen problem-solving capacities
and inter-personal work skills of postgraduate students: One major shortcoming of the existing
programmes in many African universities is that they are heavily focussed on classroom or desklevel
learning with only limited practical exposure to developmental reality in a community or industry
setting. The ESDA Programme has attempted to alter this by instituting learning programmes
which will bring postgraduate students to the field to address practical issues that relate to sustainable development concerns in each setting.
(4) Active support by UNU and other external partner universities as well as UN organizations
working in the field of sustainable development: As the project’s initiator, UNU has provided substantive and organizational support for the ESDA Project. The Project has also benefited from active support by external partner universities, especially in Japan and Northern Europe, and UN
organizations such as UNESCO, UNEP and UN-HABITAT, all of whom have long experience and
much expertise in education and training in the field of sustainable development.
(5) Intentional use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT): African universities participating in the ESDA Project are at various stages of development in utilising ICT for their research and education. In order to promote inter-university collaboration among the partner universities the Project has made deliberate use of this technology.
(6) A project designed not only for African students, but also for students from outside Africa who
are interested in contributing to sustainable development in Africa: When implemented, the programmes formulated by the ESDA Project will not only be open to the students at the partner universities, but also to students from other African universities willing to enrol in one of the partner
universities.
For more information, please visit: UNU-ISP Homepage: http://isp.unu.edu/
Edited and published by Dr. Amos Mensah
SIRDA - Coordinator, KNUST GHANA
in Africa
Programme Universities
University of Nairobi
Kenyatta University
University of Ibadan
University of Ghana
Kwame Nkrumah Universit y of Science and Technology
University for Development Studies
Universit y of Zambia
University of Cape Town
United Nations University
Institute for Sustainability and Peace
Message from the Director of United Nations University Institute
for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP)
United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) was established in January 2009. As one of its first undertakings, in February 2009, ISP convened a consultation conference on the role of higher education in Africa with the participation of 15 African and 15
Japanese and international scholars. Out of this conference came the idea of the ESDA Project – a project to establish Master’s Programmes for sustainable development in Africa to be jointly managed by leading African universities with the support of UNU, UNESCO, UNEP, and UN-HABITAT, as well as Japanese and other universities outside Africa. Four years hence, and after countless efforts to develop and test the programme contents for greater relevance, more visible utility and practical feasibility, ESDA Master’s Programmes are now ready for on-site implementation at eight African partner universities starting in the Autumn of 2013. I am also pleased to inform you that ESDA is more than just an innovation in professional education in Africa. It also encourages field-based research by Next Generation Researchers, which should lead to provision of new learning materials for postgraduate education. Greater exposure of students and faculty to developmental reality in the field may also mean increased opportunities for the individuals, organizations and communities on the receiving end to benefit from the knowledge and experiences offered by the universities. In presenting this booklet containing a brief overview of the ESDA programmes, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all the support which has been provided to sustain this initiative, including, in particular, from the Government of Japan, the Swedish International Development Agency and the African Development Bank.
Kazuhiko Takeuchi Director, United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) Senior Vice-Rector, United Nations University
Message from the Chair of ESDA Consortium
The challenge of sustainable development for Africa is very demanding.
We must achieve enough economic growth to rid the continent of poverty
and hunger, promote good governance and social cohesion while
preserving its rich cultural diversity and traditions, and make sure that we
hand over to the next generation a well-managed resource base and an
ecologically sound environment – and we must advance on all these fronts
at the same time. In meeting this enormous challenge, African universities
jointly have a particularly important role to play as the intellectual
infrastructure of the continent, on the basis of which we should, above all,
nurture the next generation of leaders for Africa’s sustainable development. Education for
Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA) is a joint undertaking of eight African partner
universities and the United Nations University Institute for Sustainability and Peace (ISP) to
initiate three Master’s Programmes on sustainable urban development, sustainable and
integrated rural development, and management of mineral resources, respectively. With the fieldbased and problem-solving oriented approach of our programmes, we hope to generate a new
breed of African professionals who will work for greater social relevance and towards creating a
lasting impact on the developmental reality of Africa. Stephen Simukanga Vice-Chancellor, University of Zambia
Overview of the ESDA
― How the programme was developed
Since October 2008, UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP) has worked with a
group of leading African universities to explore the possibility of jointly establishing a postgraduate
programme on sustainable development in Africa in order to shape a new generation of professionals
to face the challenges of Africa’s sustainable development, with three-year seed funding
support from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
This project, entitled ‘Education for Sustainable Development in Africa’ (ESDA), has been promoted
by three Working Groups: the first on Integrated Rural Development, the second on Sustainable
Urban Development and the third on Management of Mineral Resources. The project
was based on UNU’s network with higher education institutions in Africa and elsewhere which are
active in this area, including international organizations such as UNESCO, UNEP and UN HABITAT.
The process of implementing the project was carried out by the ESDA steering committee,
which included members of African partner universities as well as cooperating universities and
organizations from Africa, Asia and Europe. After three years of solid work by the partner universities and institutions including UNESCO, UNEP and UN-HABITAT as well as selected Japanese and Northern European universities, the project has developed Master’s-level education programmes covering the three areas mentioned above.
― Current status of the programme
After the development of the three ESDA postgraduate programmes, efforts have been made by
each university to ensure that the programmes are implemented in the 2013-14 academic year
with support from cooperating institutions. From the beginning, it has been assumed that ESDA
should, upon completion of its Project Phase, transit to a new Programme Phase. Whether or not
this transition will take place successfully will depend on a host of factors, including commitment
on the part of the leadership of the African partner universities to implement the programme,
readiness of the faculty members of these universities to tackle the practical requirements for the
programme’s initiation such as working out inter-university collaboration arrangements, availability
of technical support from principal stakeholders, as well as financial support from both local
and international sources.
In order to implement, monitor and evaluate the ESDA programmes, the eight African universities
and the UNU, which co-signed the MOU for implementing the ESDA Master’s Programmes, established the ESDA Consortium as a steering mechanism to: (1) consider and take necessary decisions on overall direction, strategic issues, programmes, plans, project activities, budget and
other matters relating to the ESDA as a whole; (2) review the working of the ESDA Consortium,
including the status of joint activities among the partner universities and of cooperation with the
Supporting Organizations; and (3) to consider and agree on the calendar of activities for the
ESDA Programmes. In addition, the ESDA partners have established the Next Generation Researchers Group – composed of young faculty members -who have elaborated a common research
agenda for joint pursuit in support of the ESDA Master’s Programmes on sustainable development
in Africa. The group members are expected to assume a key role in implementing the
field-based and problem-solving oriented component of the ESDA curriculums.
― Distinguishing features of the ESDA Programme
The ESDA Programme is characterized by a number
of unique and innovative features, which may be
summarised as follows:
(1) Programme ownership by leading African universities collaborating for impact: The ESDA Programme has been carried out by a group of likeminded African universities which are intent upon establishing a common postgraduate programme on sustainable development in Africa.
(2) Improving the existing postgraduate programmes of partner universities rather than creating
a totally new programme: The ESDA Programme has created concrete modalities for inter-university
sharing of complementary strengths among the partner universities in order to enrich the existing
programmes of the respective universities with improved curricular construct and enhanced instructional capacity.
(3) Emphasis on field-oriented programmes designed to strengthen problem-solving capacities
and inter-personal work skills of postgraduate students: One major shortcoming of the existing
programmes in many African universities is that they are heavily focussed on classroom or desklevel
learning with only limited practical exposure to developmental reality in a community or industry
setting. The ESDA Programme has attempted to alter this by instituting learning programmes
which will bring postgraduate students to the field to address practical issues that relate to sustainable development concerns in each setting.
(4) Active support by UNU and other external partner universities as well as UN organizations
working in the field of sustainable development: As the project’s initiator, UNU has provided substantive and organizational support for the ESDA Project. The Project has also benefited from active support by external partner universities, especially in Japan and Northern Europe, and UN
organizations such as UNESCO, UNEP and UN-HABITAT, all of whom have long experience and
much expertise in education and training in the field of sustainable development.
(5) Intentional use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT): African universities participating in the ESDA Project are at various stages of development in utilising ICT for their research and education. In order to promote inter-university collaboration among the partner universities the Project has made deliberate use of this technology.
(6) A project designed not only for African students, but also for students from outside Africa who
are interested in contributing to sustainable development in Africa: When implemented, the programmes formulated by the ESDA Project will not only be open to the students at the partner universities, but also to students from other African universities willing to enrol in one of the partner
universities.
For more information, please visit: UNU-ISP Homepage: http://isp.unu.edu/
Edited and published by Dr. Amos Mensah
SIRDA - Coordinator, KNUST GHANA
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