Introduction
In the EU-ZW project five universities in Zimbabwe will collaborate with two universities and one SME in EU (Spain, Sweden). All five Zimbabwe universities are newcomers in the sense that they have previously not participated in any “Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education” projects. Four of the Zimbabwe universities are located in rural areas a significant distance from the capital.
In order to have a very efficient learning curve the EU-ZW “Strand 1” project will be connected to the EDU-ABCM project (Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Mozambique, in collaboration with two universities in EU [Italy, Sweden] which will start in the beginning of 2023) towards modernization of courses and programs in the energy sector, with emphasize upon the general perspectives of circular economy towards energy sustainability.
This collaboration will give the Zimbabwe partners a significant jump-start as they will be able to profit from all the progress done during the first year of the EDU-ABCM project and thus become inspired and learn how international collaboration can be performed. As such the capacity building among teachers, and administrative and university leadership, from a total of 5 countries in Africa will be significantly enhanced. The EU-ZW project will re-use both the framework and learning material developed from EDU-ABCM, as well as from two other earlier Capacity Building projects (in Sri Lanka [EUSL Energy] and Latin America [EUBBC-Digital]), while developing and implementing specific new courses and programs adapted for the local conditions in Zimbabwe.
The courses and programs to be developed will enhance the modernization process of the Zimbabwe universities by introducing a challenge-driven student-centered flipped classroom approach in which innovation and entrepreneurship takes a predominant role. All the learning material is developed in a digital online format and can as such be read also in remote areas, both as part of a formal academic study program and as stand-alone modules for individual learning journeys (as long as an internet connection can be established). Learning resources and courses will be shared between the partners throughout the project and common implementation will be performed. Business cases and global challenges related to the UN Sustainability Goals, and specifically adapted towards global CO2 mitigation, are introduced in the modernized curricula.
At the end of the EU-ZW project the Zimbabwe universities will have clearly demonstrated, in a measurable and scalable way, that it is possible to collaborate on educational material in the energy sector in a global perspective, to co-create and re-use material from other colleagues, improve the material, adapt it to local conditions and create an international collaboration in which students, teachers, societal actors commonly attack some of the local and global challenges humanity stands in front of. A special effort will also be made towards trans-national collaboration through a clear correspondence comparing local credits with the European ECTS, certification and double degrees of specific educational programs.
Vision
To establish a sustainable and collaborative global network in the energy sector, where universities across continents co-create innovative educational material, foster international partnerships, and address pressing local and global challenges, thereby empowering communities and advancing humanity towards a more sustainable future.
Mission
Our mission is to enhance the capacity of Zimbabwean universities by facilitating collaboration with European counterparts and integrating them into a global educational network focused on the energy sector