ORGANIZERS

Supported by the IHEA Foundation – Italian Higher Education with Africa

Specializing Master presentation

MISSION AND CONTEXT

Africa’s role is central in global policies and will become increasingly strategic along the strengthening of national economies and the population growth. Global challenges have proven to be complex and multidisciplinary, sometimes unpredictable as experienced in 2020. In this context, academic training and scientific research play a primary role as they can enhance change via innovation and knowledge.

The mission of this Specializing Master course is to support African Universities by contributing to upgrading their staff and nurturing a qualified generation of skilled young researchers and lecturers.

The specific objective, is threefold:
– to increase the attendants’ knowledge about the global challenges of sustainable development and clarify the implications for the Continent
– to provide the attendants with tools to pursue research and education actions in this field and being able to transfer their knowledge within their home University
– to enforce the partnership between the attendants’ home Universities and Italian Universities

TRAINING FORMAT

The Specializing Master aims to strengthen transversal knowledge on issues in line with the Agenda 2030 and the Agenda 2063.

It is designed around 6 didactic modules (1 intro module, 2 transversal modules, 3 technical modules).
The overall objective is to nurture a qualified generation of skilled young researchers and lecturers on two main issues:
teaching innovation projects and sustainability.

The course includes the assignment of a project work to be carried out in groups. This will allow the attendants to apply the knowledge acquired within the modules by writing a research proposal on a topic of interest for their home University or by designing the programme and the syllabus for a new teaching course aligned with the Specializing Master topics.

SPECIALIZING MASTER BROCHURE

Period

From February 2022 to February 2023

Location*

The course is designed as a combination of distance learning (online using the Microsoft Teams platform) and lessons in person held in Politecnico di Milano and Addis Abeba (subject to the evolution of the sanitary emergence).

Language

English

Target

The course is designed for young talents with an academic perspective: young lecturers and junior researchers. Ethiopian Universities will assist the IHEA Foundation in the selection of a highly qualified candidates

Awarded title

1^st level Specializing Master Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage: Empowering Higher Education in Africa

Blended learning*

The Specializing Master will be taught via online classes. The didactic modules will be scheduled during selected weeks, from Mondays to Fridays for 2/3 hours per day and on Saturdays for 5/6 hours. Weekly workload is designed to allow the candidates to continue their other research and teaching commitments

*Didactic in presence will be organized as soon as the sanitary emergency will be managed

TIMING

July 5th, 2021

Application opening

September 5th, 2021

Application deadline

September 8th, 2021

Start of the selection phase

February 7th, 2022

Start of the didactic activities

CALENDAR

Module 1: Sustainable development and the Africa challenge | February 7th – March 5th, 2022
Module 2: Project Research Management – Innovative Teaching | March 14th – April 30th, 2022
Module 3: Sustainable Food | May 9th – June 11th, 2022
Module 4: Energy Resources, Power Technologies, Energy Scenarios and Planning | June 14th – July 23rd, 2022
Module 5: Cultural Heritage | September 26th – October 22th, 2022
Module 6: One Health: introduction to system thinking, Health and Sustainable Lifestyle, Pollution and Health| November 8th – November 12th, 2022
Project Work: November 15th, 2022 – February 15th, 2023

DIDACTIC MODULES

Read the full description of the Didactic Modules

Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Sustainable development and the Africa challenge

The introductory module focuses on the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs implementation in Africa. The analysis of the progress towards these SDGs on the Continent – with special attention to the management of natural resources and cultural heritage – will be carried out by adopting a retrospective and a prospective approach, investigating the causes of unsustainability in specific cases.

Università degli Studi di Padova

Project Research Management - Innovative Teaching

This module will focus on the EU and International funded calls – where to find data and opportunities, Cooperation opportunities among Universities, research and public or private institutions. It will also focus on innovative teaching and monitoring systems and cooperation projects and internationalization management.

Università degli Studi di Firenze

Sustainable food

The overall objective of this module is to frame the issue of Sustainable Food into a more general framework of development economics. The lectures will provide an introduction to agrifood systems and rural development in LDCs.

Politecnico di Milano

Energy Resources, Power Technologies, Energy Scenarios and Planning

The main goal of the module is to widen the participants’ knowledge of the energy sector, examining energy systems at different scales. The module will also highlight the main challenges in the energy sector for the decades to come, thus giving constraints and opportunities for energy technology development.

Università La Sapienza di Roma

Cultural Heritage

The module examines different aspects of cultural heritage in Africa focusing on: the legal framework and wide-ranging actions of the main international UN-based actors working in Africa; the role and functions of preventive archaeology; the relationships between cultural heritage, local communities and society; digital humanities.

Alma Mater Studiorum Bologna

One Health: introduction to system thinking, Healthand Sustainbale Lifestyle, Pollution and Health

The main goal of the module is to introduce the students to One Health approach and system thinking at human/animal/environment interface. The module will also focus on how Nutrition and Physical Activity are associated to a Healthy and Sustainable Lifestyle and to understand the nexus between Pollution and Health.

ELIGIBILITY FOR ADMISSION

Admission is selective and the requirements are:

1) Bachelor or Master of Science in disciplines connected to the topics of the Specializing Master:

- copy of the degree in the original language and its translation into Italian/English/French or Spanish

- copy of the transcripts with the list of exams in the original language and their translation into Italian/English/French or Spanishor Diploma Supplement

- copy of a valid passport

- Curriculum Vitae

2) Motivational letter by the candidate

3) Letter of support by the candidate’s home University, preferably issued on headed letter by an institutional representative (head of the unit/department of the candidate)

Moreover:

- To hold a position in a local Universities (lectures, assistant, fellow researchers…) will be an additional asset of merit.

- Good knowledge of written and oral English is requested, a language certification will also be an additional asset of merit

ADMISSION STEPS

STEP 1– Upon the receipt of applications, the Department of Energy will assess the eligibility criteria as above described, for each applicant with respect to the degree requirement. Applicants who pass this first step will move on to step 2. The Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano will share the list of the eligible candidates with the IHEA Foundation.

STEP 2 - The IHEA Foundation will identify, at its sole discretion, the applicants to be enrolled through evaluation of qualification, letter of motivation and letter of support. Based on this evaluation IHEA Foundation, at its sole discration, might invite for an individual interview a selected group of candidates. During the interview the following elements will be assessed:

- provided with capacity to communicate clearly and accurately in spoken and written English

- stimulated by Sustainable Development, Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063

- endowed with good communication skills

- committed to work on a project work for his/her home university on one of the subject of the Specializing Master

- availability to act as trainers of trainees within the home university to multiply the benefit and the impact of the Master in their home University

The interview follows a defined structure and patterns will be supplied with the necessary template with questions for the interview and an interview assessment sheet. To ensure transparency and quality of the interviews the interview is public.

Individual applications will not be taken into consideration, as it is a requirement to be referred by the applicant’s home university. The Specializing Master will be available to additional postdoc fellows and young lecturers at full cost.

The list of the selected candidates will be shared with the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships covering the entire cost of the Specializing Master will be available for 35 applicants coming mainly from Ethiopian Higher Education and/or Research Institutes.