INSSPIRE - Innovation for Sustainability and Societal relevance: Partnerships in evidence-based higher education on food systems and climate change

Africa's food systems are in crisis. They grow rapidly, mostly in an unsustainable way. They experience negative effects from climate change and can even exacerbate these effects through their contribution to GHG emission. There is an urgent need to strengthen the sustainability of Africa's food systems and adapt them to climate change. This is even more critical under the current pandemic. Higher education contributes to this need by delivering graduates with competencies to address real-life problems. Transdisciplinary and experiential learning in curricula is indispensable in this regard. INSSPIRE stimulates evidence-based inclusive education for sustainable development through following specific objectives:1.Building intra-university capacity2.Strengthening university-community collaboration3.Enhancing inter-university partnershipsAbove objectives will be achieved by:•Developing modules on food systems and climate change (FSCC) for existing curricula: in 4 universities in Kenya/Uganda with scientific evidence from 4 case studies on FSCC•Developing staff capacity (100 lecturers of 4 African universities) for delivery of FSCC modules equipping students with competences related to FSCC (aside from online training, 2 seminars, 4 trainings and 4 workshops in Africa, all except one with stakeholders)•Using video games to increase students’ soft skills and prepare them for leadership roles in FSCC•Involving societal actors in co-creation of long-term solutions through 4 real-life learning labs for FSCC modules •Setting up collaborative online international learning at 4 African universities (24 lecturers) for peer learning and transfer of experience and good practices on FSCCINSSPIRE aims to prepare students of HEIs for labour market success, by equipping them with the knowledge and skills, to take on different leadership roles in the transformation of food systems and adjustment to climate change thus contributing to sustainable growth.