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Launch of EU Erasmus Funded Centre for Vocational Excellence in Climate Smart Agriculture

25-04-2023

Recently, the new EU Erasmus+ project on Vocational Centers of Excellence in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) was launched in South Africa.

Maastricht School of Management (MSM) is leading this new Eramus+ project in close collaboration with the South African local partner Stellenbosch University and European partner Mendelu University (Czech Republic). The partners are collaborating on this project that focuses on capacity building of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in South Africa.

The project is based on the European Union (EU) framework for Management-Governance-Inclusion-Innovative-Education-Transition Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE). The objective of the CoVE is to link Vocational Education and Training (VET) to Industry and to foster cooperation across 3 TVET colleges which include Lovedale, West Coast, Boland, as well as Stellenbosch University Water Institute, MSM and Mendelu University.

The aim is to support curricula with innovative teaching methodologies and to make VET learning more attractive and inclusive. Agri Colleges International (ACI) is also involved in the project as a private expert party in online learning. Together the consortium is focusing on developing capacity of the college’s role in promoting education programs through climate-smart technology that supports food security and a sustainable environment. CSA is an answer to the effects of climate change which make agricultural development in the regions more challenging with a dependence on climate-smart production, technology transformation and a modern skilled workforce.

The project duration is 36 months, and the key focus will be to upscale the work to other regions in South Africa and Africa. The project is managed by Sandra Adriaansens and Hans Nijhoff. 

MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies

This institutional collaboration project is part of MSM's Expert Centre on Emerging Economies. The department is an expert centre on local economic development in emerging and developing markets.​ We capacitate managers and professionals from government, private sector, NGOs, and post-secondary education in Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Latin America. We offer consultancy and customized training programs, and we manage complex projects in key sectors, e.g. water, agriculture and health. For more information click here.

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