PURSUE Project WP2 Meeting – Course Development
The PURSUE project team held an online meeting focused on Work Package 2 – Course Development, marking a significant step forward in aligning course content and academic activities across partner institutions. The meeting was attended by representatives from all partner universities, including Sakarya University (Turkey), University of Porto (Portugal), Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (Tanzania), Ardhi University (Tanzania), SIMAD University (Somalia), and Mogadishu University (Somalia).
Objectives of the Meeting
- Review the overall progress of WP2 and identify key milestones and deliverables.
- Discuss the curriculum structure and content development based on the needs analysis conducted by partner institutions.
- Finalize the module topics for sustainable construction techniques, focusing on locally available materials and climate-resilient construction practices.
- Establish a timeline for the development of course content, including training materials, lab manuals, and e-learning modules.
Management and Coordination
The meeting was led by WP2 Leader – University of Porto, who provided a detailed overview of the proposed course modules and outlined the curriculum framework. Key discussions included:
- Aligning course content with the objectives of the PURSUE project.
- Identifying gaps in existing curricula related to sustainable housing and construction.
- Incorporating feedback from stakeholders gathered during the previous meeting in Tanzania.
- Assigning specific tasks to each partner institution for content creation and review.
Challenges and Next Steps
- Ensuring content consistency across partner universities with varying academic standards.
- Integrating practical training modules using locally available construction materials.
- Developing a monitoring and evaluation plan to assess the impact of the newly developed courses.
The consortium agreed to hold weekly progress meetings to maintain alignment and address emerging challenges, during which each partner will present their draft content for review and feedback.
Commitment to Capacity Building and Sustainability
The course development initiative under WP2 is a critical component of the PURSUE project’s mission to enhance educational capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa by integrating sustainable construction practices into engineering and architecture programs. The courses will also be made available as open educational resources (OERs) to extend their impact beyond project duration.
