The MESA NetworkProf. Gitile Naituli, PhD

Multimedia Univeristy of Kenya

What is MESA?

• An ‘on the ground’ African network developed and maintained (with few resources) by African professors that are linked up with community contexts and issues

• A space for innovation, knowledge exchange and professional growth and development

• Started in 2004 at UNEP, still going and slowly growing .

• Evidence of small scale innovations in curriculum, teaching, research, community engagement, student initiative and university management

ESD Innovations Programme – started in 2004

A participatory initiative …

• Over 50 university lecturers contributed to the conceptualisation …

• Participatory and responsive programme design (since 2004)• Participatory materials development • Partnership funding and functioning

MESA - an open process – Broadening participation through various approaches

The Concept: ESD Change Projects in University Communities of Practice

SOCIAL LEARNING PROCESS & OUTCOMES

ESD Innovations Course File & ToolkitA platform for dialogue and reflectionMany new ideas for action

Resource Team KnowledgeExperience

ParticipantsKnowledgeExperience

ESD Innovations in African Universities

A networked learningCommunity

Leadership support

An initiative developed in Africa for Africa –Exposure to different programmes, issues, networks and resources

National University of Lesotho, University of Swaziland, University of the Western Cape, University of Malawi,

University of Botswana, Kenyatta University, Suez Canal University – Egyptt, Egerton University – Kenya, University of Zambia, UEM (Mozambique), Suez Canal University, Makarere University, United Nations University, Universtiy of Liberia, Mauritius Institute of Education, University of Kinshasa, Kigali Institute of Science & Technology

National University of Rwanda, Universite d’Abobo-Adjame, University of Nairobi, Global Virtual University, Ghana University of Education

Agreed upon learning outcomes to guide interactions in the network

1: Conceptualise the relevance of Education for Sustainable Development in relation to teaching, research, community services and management …

2: Design and apply innovative approaches to teaching, research and /or community services that reflect principles and values of SD, enhance learning and use of ICT

3: Develop and apply innovative strategies to strengthen institutional capacity for responding to environmental and development issues …

Every participant: What can you DO to contribute to, and achieve these learning outcomes?

CHANGE PROJECTS

The Role of Universities:Environment, Sustainable Development and the

University in Africa

Developing a common understanding • Is sustainable development a concern

for universities? • Issues of environment, vulnerability

and risk in Africa • Equip leaders and civil society to play a

greater role in shaping responsive measures both globally and locally

• Prepare leaders to be accountable • Work with marginalized communities to

have their voices heard in decision making bodies, globally and locally

• Equip government, civil society and business to mitigate and adapt to climate change, environmental issues and sustainable development challenges

• Support for sustainability in higher education – international developments

Innovations in Teaching, Research and Community Engagement

Teaching, research and community engagement work

• Education for a changing world – a new vision • Challenging taken for granted assumptions• Changing views about science and technology • Bringing the social and natural sciences together Values and transformative learning Professional ethics and ESD in Higher Education

• Transformative learning • Some insights into new learning theory • Active learning approaches• Using case study approaches• Action research and community problem

solving • Socially critical learning approaches• Situated, reflexive learning in communities of

practice• Engaging conflict in/as a learning process

Curriculum design innovations• Changing disciplines? • Multi-disciplinary, inter-

disciplinary, trans-disciplinary

• Working with IK in education

• ICT and ESD innovations in African universities

• Assessment innovations

Innovations in research

• Re-orientation of epistemology (our ways of knowing) – Sustainability Science (a new science)

• Re-orientation and broadening research methodologies • Re-orientation of research purposes and outputs • Research in context • Utilising research results effectively and ethically

Innovations in Community Engagement Work • Service learning

Institutional Capacity Development for ESD • Why focus on institutional capacity for ESD? • Introducing sustainable development

innovations into a university • Understanding the culture of the institution• Strategy, policy and organisational structures • Financing and resourcing innovations

Case study and activities

Mainstreaming Approaches Emerging from MESA

• Innovation approach, start somewhere and ‘spread the practice’ outwards …

• Infusion approach, building on what is already there with key (new) interventions

• Systems approach, review the whole system (using participatory tools), create dialogue, reflection and policy and practice responses across the system

• Policy response – specific requirement across the system

Leadership support is essential

AU, AAU, GHESP, UNU, GVU etc.

First MESA Leadership Seminar, UNEP, 2006

Student participation Student Participation

Participation in MESA expanding rapidly…

Learning about MESA alsoexpanding ….

MESA Hot-Spots

• Cameroon

• Cote D’Ivoire

• DRC

• Egypt

• Ethiopia

• Ghana

• Kenya

• Lesotho

• Liberia

• Malawi

• Nigeria

• Rwanda

• South Africa

• Sudan

• Swaziland

• Uganda

• Zimbabwe

• Madagascar & & &

Outcomes and some successes

• Teaching changes• Research - 3 Chairs being established • Community Engagement• Management Changes• Student participation • Networks – regional and sub-regionalNB: Knowledge of mainstreaming environment and

sustainability in African UniversitiesNB: A model that brings about change at grassroots level in

universities

Challenges

• Monitoring of on the ground outcomes and innovations

• Resources and effective systems for ongoing interactions and networking

• Resources to support innovation on the ground • Institutionalisation within university systems

and structures • Focussed thematic co-operation• Ongoing Capacity Building The general challenges experienced by African

Universities

Networking across the African continent is empowering and broadens knowledge of how to undertake mainstreaming, and develops African scholarship links

Thank you!