Official start of the INSSPIRE project.
In beginning of February 2023 we organized a Kick-off event in Kisumu, Kenya. All the INSSPIRE partners were able to meet in person and start a wonderful journey together.
During the Kick off event we also voted the winning INSSPIRE logo. It was designed by Justus Asawo Oyugi, a student of Maseno University in Kenya. Congratulations!
During the Kick-off event we organized a study visit to 3 sites: 2 farms and a Fish waste management center.
The first Steering Committee meeting, featuring Dr. Victoria Tibenda Namulawa (Uganda), Prof Madara Ogot (Kenya) and Prof Marja Spierenburg (The Netherlands), marked a significant step in INSSPIRE project.
The enlargement of the INSSPIRE network with partners from South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Network (University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana; Universite d'Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin; University of Parakou (UP), Benin; Rhodes University (RU), South Africa; University of Western Cape (UWC), South Africa), Moi University Kenya (MU).
A successful workshop on curriculum enrichment around food systems and climate change was organized. The event brought together a diverse group of academic professionals from around the world.
The workshop featured lectures by international experts and the participation of students from the "Feeding the Billions: Challenges and Innovation in Food and Water Security" summer school. Bringing together students and experts not only added a unique perspective to the event but also presented a very interesting opportunity to connect education with real societal challenges.
During the curriculum enhancement workshop, a visit to BioBoerm was organized, a large organic farm in Flevoland, which covers more than 500 hectares of farmland and grows several types of organic produce.
Key topics of the workshop included a thorough review of course enrichment plans, exploring synergies between different courses for module enrichment, and a detailed discussion on the learning objectives and outcomes of the FSCC modules. Participants also engaged in brainstorming sessions about innovative learning methods and the mode of delivery.
In this Memorandum of Agreement the university partners from Kenya and Uganda agreed to work together to complement and enhance the learning experience of students through real-life learning labs in the field of food systems and climate change. The collaboration may involve sharing resources, expertise, teaching materials, and jointly organizing educational events and activities.
The enrichment of the existing courses with modules. The courses were selected by each of the partner universities from INSSPIRE and SSCT network. Lectures include assignments, tutorials, seminars, and practical training.
The main purpose of the INSSPIRE stakeholder platform is to connect stakeholders from higher education and non-academic sectors to address persistent food and nutrition security problems in Kenya, Uganda and other partner countries, namely Ghana, Benin, and South Africa, which collaborate with the INSSPIRE project through the South-South Triangular Cooperation network on Food systems and Climate Change.
The protocol provides higher education implementers, teachers, supervisors, and management, with a step-by-step roadmap to design & implement Real-life learning lab (RLLL) activities into curriculum and study courses.
INSSPIRE has started collaborating with GeCon, a foundation renowned for its innovative game-based educational solutions, to integrate gamification into curriculum elements, especially focusing on enhancing soft skills.
A 2-day Real-life Learning Lab (RLLL) workshop was held with the aim to empower educators with the tools to integrate R-LLL activities into existing curricula and study courses of their institutions. During the session, participants explored their R-LLL ideas, addressed stakeholder challenges, and created exciting vision boards aimed at stimulating innovation and creativity in education.
Module Content Development Workshop in Uganda
Between the 11th and 15th of March, INSSPIRE/South-South and Triangular Cooperation/Aurora partners (from Netherlands, Kenya, Uganda, Slovenia, Spain, Ghana, Benin, South Africa, and France) met to co-design content for the enrichment of courses with modules on Food Systems and Climate Change.