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VASES-MAPPES — Vocationalisation of Animal Sector Education

Livestock and animal products can play a vital role in alleviating poverty. Africa and the Caribbean’s share of the global market has dropped as many of their products are either unprocessed or fail to meet international standards. The regions are also seen as "incubators" of many animal diseases that pose a risk to public health and global trade. The challenge for universities is to produce graduates who can tackle this, as well as meet the entrepreneurial and vocational needs of the animal sector. The VASES-MAPPES project will support these efforts by building institutional and academic capacities of universities in Uganda, Rwanda and Grenada.

The “VASES” component of the project relates to creating a new educational model, while "MAPPES" refers to a new international Master’s programme to be jointly awarded by participating institutions.The "Vocationalisation of Animal Sector Education: MSc Animal Product Processing, Entrepreneurship & Safety" (VASES-MAPPES) project will bring together the institutional and academic capacities of Makerere University in Uganda, St George University in Grenada and Kigali Institute of Science and Technology in Rwanda. These three institutions will share knowledge and expertise to improve the ability of policy makers, university managers and academic staff to better “vocationalise” animal sector education and to produce graduates who will offer the much needed entrepreneurship, trade and safety skills.

A symposium for training and the VASES Model

Makerere University in Uganda will host a seven-day symposium that will see initial project training activities aimed at university administrators, academics and animal sector policy makers from the African and Caribbean partner countries. The training will offer insight into Blended Vocational-Entrepreneurial (BVE) education and animal sector education policy and how these interact with the pressing concerns of globalisation and poverty reduction.

At the same time delegates from the academic world (academic affairs departments; higher education councils) and the political sphere (represented by Ministries of Education, Agriculture and Animal Industry) will also seek to develop a policy framework under the VASES Model. This will set an understanding for cooperation with the ultimate aim of vocationalising animal sector higher education while retaining its role as a source of intellectuals and knowledge. The framework will be adapted to national strategies to alleviate poverty, while also taking globalisation and WTO standards into account.

Training and mentoring in key areas

One of the principal objectives of the project is to equip academic staff from the partner institutions to train and mentor students. The vocationalised and internationalised academics, intellectuals and experts will train trainers in international animal product development, value addition and entrepreneurship, as well as improving their understanding of Blended Vocational-Entrepreneurial (BVE) education, policy in the sector and globalisation considerations. This will promote employment, rural development and safe trade. The Afro-Caribbean-EU partnership and cooperation will ensure international quality and mentoring.

Project Coordinator
Makerere University, Uganda

Partners
St George University Schoolof Veterinary Medicine, Grenada
Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Rwanda

Associates
NEPAD Council Europe, Germany
Private Sector Foundation of Uganda, Uganda
Uganda Industrial Research Institute,
Uganda Land O’Lakes, Inc., Uganda

Launching an international Master’s degree for the animal sector

To test the VASES model and build HEI competences for mentoring a new generation of graduates with contemporary entrepreneurial, vocational, intellectual & managerial qualities within the broad framework of VASES model, the partners will develop and pilot a joint International and Vocational Masters in Animal Product Processing, Entrepreneurship and Safety (MAPPES) within the three year duration of the project. MAPPES will be targeted at those who already have a first degree in food, animal, veterinary and related sciences. Modules will include processing, manufacturing, safety, entrepreneurship and international trade. Ten junior academic staff from the partner institutions will be the first to take the Master’s. This will also allow piloting of the VASES model and MAPPES curriculum. MAPPES will thereafter be implemented under agreed upon scaling-up arrangements that synergise the strengths and experiences of the partners and stakeholders such as private sector industrialists in Africa, the Caribbean and Europe.

Wider effects and benefits

Procedures for follow up and to ensure sustainability of the programme will involve institutionalisation of the MAPPES programme by encouraging the partner universities to mainstream it in their ongoing programmes. Efforts will also be made to lobby government ministries of Education, Animal Industry, and Trade to adopt the MAPPES and VASES model in their bid to transform and encourage the rural entrepreneurship sector. The VASES-MAPPES project is highly relevant to efforts by partner governments to revive the animal sector. For example, several hundred vocational polytechnics have been planned in Rwanda and Uganda. VASES-MAPPES can help to provide competent tutors, as well as individuals equipped to give input to policy making. VASES-MAPPES supports the longer term objectives of partner governments, UN agencies and the African Union including improvement of nutrition, wealth creation and rural development as enshrined in their respective Poverty eradication plans and the Millennium Development Goals.

Grant: 194008
Project duration:

36 months (28/08/2008 - 27/08/2011)
EU funding:

EUR 496,584
Total budget:

EUR 674,415
Project contact:

Associate Prof. Dr. John David Kabasa
Makerere University

Tel: 00256 772 499027
Fax: 00256 414 554685

e-mail: kabasajd[at]vetmed.mak.ac.ug;

e-mail: deanvet[at]vetmed.mak.ac.ug

Projet's website
VASES-MAPPES — Vocationalisation of Animal Sector Education
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EN VASES-MAPPES.pdf
John David Kabasa

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