HAMK in Africa

Partnerships for education, research and innovation

HAMK is building knowledge and competence together with African universities and partners.

In this age of globalisation, there is a great need for collaboration, new ideas and innovations, and shared resources. Häme University of Applied Sciences is actively involved in international cooperation in education and research, which will shape the future of the world. Collaboration with African partners has an impact on all HAMK’s levels:

Collaborative research is the tool for producing solutions suitable for local realities to create jobs and wealth. Collaborative research will also lead to sustainable development and climate change mitigation.
Students are in the centre of all we do. Students at HAMK as well as at African partner universities will have possibilities to enhance their international competences and to strengthen their global citizenship. Through HAMK’s collaboration in Africa, students will have more opportunities for short exchanges in multidisciplinary groups.
Our staff also have opportunities to increase their global through teacher exchanges, both by visiting African partner universities and by welcoming colleagues from African countries to teach at HAMK.

News

projects

HAMK’s ongoing projects in Africa

AgriSCALE

www.agriscale.net

AgriSCALE is a joint initiative for reforming agri-entrepreneurship education in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. The project includes real-life PBL cases for international student teams both online and in the field in Africa.

Duration: 2020–2023

Funded by: Erasmus+/EACEA

View project video (YouTube) and brochure (PDF)

AGS co-creation and innovation programme

hamk.fi/ags-co-creation-and-innovation-programme/

The co-creation and innovation programme in Zambia empowers companies, universities, public sector, and individual citizens, to join an inclusive community that supports local SMEs.

Duration: 2021–2022

Funded by: AGS Programme (Accelerated Growth for SMEs in Zambia)

View or download the project brochure (PDF).

Cocoa business development

Project website

The Cocoa business development project is implemented in collaboration with the Kultasuklaa company and the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. The goal is to create a sustainable business model that provides a reasonable income level to the farmers and utilizes cocoa by-products in environmentally and socially sustainable ways. Team challenges of students from HAMK and UCC are one of the key methods for investigating the opportunities.

Duration: 2021–2022

Funded by: Finnpartnership

FOREST21

www.forest21.org

FOREST21 is a joint project for strengthening capacity in South African higher education in forestry entrepreneurship. Through curricula reformations and promoting student-centred learning and teaching, graduates will be equipped with 21st century skills to solve problems, create jobs and improve climate-smart forestry.

Duration: 2021–2024

Funded by: Erasmus+/EACEA

PBL-BioAfrica

www.pbl-bioafrica.net

PBL-BioAfrica is a collaborative project for strengthening the capacity of bioeconomy education and promoting PBL methods in Kenya and Zambia. A large number of students will be equipped with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset through team projects with real companies and NGOs. Promoting circular economy, climate-smart agriculture and gender equality are also in the heart of PBL-BioAfrica.

Duration: 10/2020–5/2024

Funded by: HEI ICI/Edufi/MFA (the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)

View project brochure (PDF)

RAJO

RAJO is a project funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for developing vocational training and improving youth employment in Somalia. HAMK is responsible for teachers’ pedagogical training and involved in developing the curricula in vocational training and a model for learning in real working life. The project coordinated by the Finnish Somalia network and is implemented in cooperation with its Finnish member organisations as well as local organisational and educational actors.

Duration: 2021–2022

Funded by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA)

For students

Join Field Work in Africa

Building a sustainable world – this is what Global Sustainability studies is about. Learn about intercultural communication and why we need to care about others’ cultures or beliefs. Learn to understand the global economic and socio-cultural processes connecting the rich and poor of the world. Learn about the global inequality challenges, discuss sustainable and respectful global development and link this to your own studies. As a HAMK student, you have an opportunity to deepen your experience through joining a real-life development project in Africa.

In total, 75 HAMK students will be traveling to our African partner countries in 2021–2024.

Map with student mobility arrows from Europe to Africa

We offer three courses consisting of a full 15-credit module:

Cross-cultural communication, 5 cr online
Sustainable Society and Global Economy, 5 cr online
Creating Sustainable Solutions, 5 cr, field work in Africa or project work in Finland

Cross-Cultural Communication

Get prepared to work in multicultural environments and to navigate in the cultural complexity. Learn to recognize how culture, values, and non-verbal communication affect communication. Create links between the key theories and concepts of intercultural communication and real-life communication skills.

Sustainable Society and Global Economy

Get an insight to social, economic, and environmental sustainability issues in the global context. Learn about key theories and concepts on poverty and economic and social inequality. Discuss the ways towards prosperous and inclusive societies. Learn to link your own professional knowledge to the issues of global development agenda.

Creating Sustainable Solutions

During the field work in Africa, students work in multicultural teams to solve real-life problems. The field challenges are developed in close collaboration with companies, NGOs and other societal partners in Africa, Finland, or other partner countries. Students can also develop and test their own business ideas during the field course.

Before travelling to Africa, the international teams work online to familiarise themselves with the case. The field work in an African partner university is 10–12 days. The international teams share ideas and develop innovative solutions to the identified challenges. Each project team is mentored by the client organisation as well as the staff of HAMK and partner universities. After the field work, the teams can continue discussing together, analysing their cases and finding possible alternative solutions to their challenge.

The field courses are open to all HAMK students who are interested in working with bioeconomy-linked business and development challenges.

The students who cannot travel to Africa can complete a development project assignment in Finland.

Course structure scheme — Global Sustainability: Module structure

Schedule

Autumn semester 2021

Cross-cultural communication: Oct-Dec

Spring semester 2022

Creating sustainable solutions: Jan
Sustainable Society and Global Economy: Pending

Field work schedule 2022: At this moment COVID situation does not allow traveling to Africa this spring so all the projects are done virtually.

How to register

HAMK students may register on Pakki (search by course names)
Registration for the students of the Open university of applied sciences
Students of other universities of applied sciences (no cost): register on CampusOnline

The HAMK projects will cover the flights, in-country travel, accommodation and the stay in the partner university. Students’ self-funding includes personal travel, insurances, vaccinations and visa costs.

To learn about the field course schedule and to apply to the course, follow the information on Tuudo and the International Office.