This project aims to develop higher education, multi-disciplinary curriculum in agriculture and economics, targeted to building knowledge and scientific capacity for innovation and advancement of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in East and Southern Africa through long-term partnerships between and among NMBU and four institutions in Kenya (Maseno University), Malawi (Lilongwe University of Agriculture), Natural Resources and Department of Agricultural Research Services (DARS) and Uganda (Makerere University). The project contributes by:

• (1) developing graduate curriculum in the partner universities where students and are selected to participate in South-South-North exchanges, strengthening alliances among the institutions and leveraging existing cooperation in academic programs;
• (2) enhancing research in sustainable SCA innovation and adoption pathways, linking partnerships between educational and research institutions that develop scientific knowledge disseminated through conferencesand academic journals; and
• (3) (3) developing CSA platforms that include researchers, educators, students and agricultural stakeholders who engage in feedback and receive outreach for adopting new, proven CSA technologies.

The project contributes to the improvement in quality and internationalization of academic programs through five joint courses. Seven PhD candidates (two from each partner country and one from NMBU), 12 MSc students (including two full scholarship students), and research mobilizations of students and exchanges for faculty members. The curriculum enhances digital competence of students and faculty, including internationally immobile students, and focuses on the adoption/facilitation of innovation of CSA practices to increase crop-livestock integration and productivity. Cross-cutting subjects in gender, land tenure, sustainable production, integrated soil fertility management, and economics are delivered through hybrid instruction. The education and research will produce knowledge through feedback and outreach with farmers, the final beneficiary of new technologies

1. Educational Component
1.1 Curriculum development in CSA – 5 joint courses under hybrid instruction
1.1.1 Transformation in Changing Climate
1.1.2 Behavioral and Experimental Economics
1.1.3 Land Tenure, Policy, and Property Rights
1.1.4 Feed Resources Planning and Management
1.1.5 Sustainable Management of Livestock Production Systems
1.2 Mobilization of PhD candidates
1.2.1 South-South semester exchanges, 6 candidates
1.2.2 South-North semester exchanges, 6 candidates
1.2.3 NMBU-South mobilization, 1 candidate for 2-month summer field visit
1.3 Mobilization of MSc students
1.3.1 South-South study exchanges, 10 students
1.3.2 South-North semester exchanges, 10 students
1.3.3 NMBU-South mobilizations, 2 students for 2-month summer field visit, 2 students
1.3.4 Full MSc scholarships at NMBU, 2 students during 2023-25

2. Research Component
2.1 Development of student research projects
2.2 Mobilization of research faculty
2.3 Participation in international or regional conference
2.4 Publication of research
2.4.1 PhD research publications
2.4.2 MSc thesis publications
2.5 Multi-stakeholder platforms
2.5.1 Desktop research
2.5.2 Roundtable discussion with stakeholders
2.5.3 Field trials with farmers, students and supervisors
2.5.4 Testing and validation of CSA practices and innovations
2.5.5 End-of-project conference

3. Administrative Component
3.1 Annual project meetings
3.2 Equipment
3.3 Project coordination and management

TBA

NMBU researchers

External partners

Department of Agricultural Research Services, Malawi

Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi

Makerere University, Uganda

Maseno University, Kenya