OBREAL, in collaboration with SARUA (Southern African Regional Universities Association), launched the ENGAGE SDG project this week. This is a three-year Erasmus+ project that aims to: involve Higher Education Institutions with the development of local communities and with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project involves partner universities in South Africa, Mauritius and Zambia, as well as EU partners from Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and Ireland.
The inaugural meeting of the project was held at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa, so as to discuss the work plan and project management. We also discussed the communication plan and and the forth coming work on mapping participatory approaches for Higher Education Institutions in Southern African Development Community(SADC) and involved EU countries.
The South-South-North vision in higher education’s commitment to the SDGs
The project offers a different vision of the commitment of Higher Education Institutions to the development of local communities and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A vision based on the South-South-North approach that characterizes OBREAL.
Thus, from ENGAGE SDG we will facilitate pilot projects around engagement with local communities in the selected regions. Also, we will develop an online digital ecosystem to further train university staff on this issue.
A strategic partnership
This project is the result of a strategic partnership with SARUA. It is part of a series of interregional seminars that we will launch in May 2024. This is a short course that will focus on the commitment of Higher Education Institutions to the Sustainable Development Goals.
