PBL-BioAfrica

Improving the agricultural sector is a central leverage point for addressing three vital challenges facing both Kenya and Zambia. First, promoting entrepreneurial innovativeness along agricultural value chains will address ongoing job creation crises by improving economic productivity. Second, introducing climate smart agriculture (CSA) as the guiding principle in business development will help Kenya and Zambia address global sustainability challenges both by adapting to changing climatic conditions, and by mitigating the environmental impact of the sector. Third, recognizing the role and potential of women in agriculture will improve equality and economic development.

The Problem-Based Learning BioAfrica program (PBL-BioAfrica) is designed to collaboratively co-create a change in agricultural education first in Kenya and Zambia, and then more broadly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) .In doing this, the project contributes to the HEI-ICI programme’s long-term impact by strengthening the capacity of bioeconomy HEIs to provide pedagogically innovative, work-life relevant and accessible higher education for large student numbers in Sub-Saharan Africa. This impact is enabled by PBL-BioAfrica’s specific outcome, which is improved climate-smart bio-entrepreneurship curricula, teaching, and management capacity in partner HEIs and wider SSA.

Key results to be achieved:

1. Universities' capacity to provide climate-smart bio-entrepreneurship education with problem-based learning (PBL) methodologies through open distance learning (ODL) formats and open education resources (OER);

2. Enhanced quality of climate-smart bio-entrepreneurship education through PBL-methodologies;

3. Universities’ networks for sustainable learning ecosystems strengthened;

4. National and international partnerships strengthened to further contextualize and develop curricula, pedagogical methodology, and learning ecosystems.