Many developing countries are making progress, whereas others are stalling or falling behind. In the latter cases, transformation capacity needs to be reinforced to enable the countries to meet present and future societal challenges. In view of this, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has now signed a four-year agreement with Lund University in Sweden regarding commissioned education courses in innovation, transformation and resilience for sustainable development. The course provider will be the Department of Economic History.
The second-cycle course, which will be held once per year over a four-year period, is part of a major project run by the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD). The project is called African Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators Initiative (ASTII) and aims to strengthen the capacity to develop the use of indicators for research, technology and innovation in planning and policy-making at the national, regional and continental levels in Africa. Lund University's course is to contribute to the project's goals through the training of professionals in organisations working within the continent's national and regional innovation systems.
"This is an excellent opportunity for us at the Department of Economic History, but also for the School of Economics and Management as a whole, to learn about, and be involved in, activities that have a direct connection with key aspects of trying to fulfil the global development and sustainability goals", says associate professor Martin Andersson, who will be the course director.
The target group is middle managers, or high-ranking public sector employees, active in innovation policy and innovation management. Twenty key people will be admitted to the course each year and in addition to remote teaching they will also study in Lund for four weeks as well as make study visits in Stockholm. Through the course, the participants will increase their knowledge of innovation's role in resilience and sustainable development, while they also build up a valuable network.
"We are very pleased that Lund University Commissioned Education has been entrusted to project- manage Lund University's contribution to AUDA-NEPAD's overall project. Through commissioned education courses, provided for aid policy reasons, the University can contribute to capacity development for sustainable development, at the same time as we develop international partnerships and networks", says Maria Flores, team manager at Lund University Commissioned Education.
Just as in other commissioned education, there is expected to be an exchange in both directions.
"We look forward to clear two-way communication in which we, who often only possess certain theoretical and historical knowledge, will teach about what we know, but also learn from the professional experts in innovation activities in African countries. It will be very exciting", says Martin Andersson.
There will also be an opportunity to create a new course in the borderland between some of the research and education areas in which the Department of Economic History is already working.
"I'm thinking, for example, about economic development, innovations, policy, structural change and institutional analysis. It will be interesting to see what emerges from such a mix", concludes Martin Andersson.
