FOREST21

21st Century Climate-Smart Forestry Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in South Africa

Project Information

Project	21st Century Climate-Smart Forestry Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in South Africa
Duration	1/2021–1/2024
Partners	Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finland (coordinator); Aalto University, Finland; Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway; Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute, South Africa; Nelson Mandela University, South Africa; Stellenbosch University, South Africa; Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa; University of Venda, South Africa
Funding	Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education; Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

FOREST21 is a joint project for strengthening capacity in South African higher education in forestry. The project is implemented in collaboration of five higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa that have forestry curricula or will start teaching forestry.

Promoting climate-smart forestry and entrepreneurial innovativeness in forestry education will lead to job creation as well as mitigation of climate change. FOREST21 is implemented through reforming the curricula in forestry entrepreneurship education to equip graduates with problem-solving skills, an entrepreneurial mindset and climate-smart thinking.

Problem-based learning (PBL) methods and students-centred teaching are in the centre of the project. Students learn through solving real-life business challenges on the field in international teams. FOREST21 requires close collaboration with the industrial sector as well as teachers and the managerial staff in partner HEIs to find the practices in the local context.

FOREST21 is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.