The SuGIK project; “Building Capacities in Geographhic Information Science and Technology in Mozambique and Cape Verde” aimed to increase the number of skilled Geographic Information Science and technology (GIS&T) professionals in Cape Verde and Mozambique by improving the quality of GIS&T postgraduate education in the Universidade de Cabo Verde (UniCV) and the Universidade Católica de Moçambique (UCM).

The project lead by the Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação da Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ISEGIUNL) and supported by ESRI-Portugal  provided UniCV and UCM with training, resources and technologies, within strict quality standards.  The SuGIK project enhanced the overall management, academic, and technological capacity of these institutions, allowing the transfer and the implementation of three editions of a GIS&T master programme, available to approximately 40 students in each partner institution.

The curriculum adaptation to local/regional needs and the introduction of innovative teaching methods contributed to upgrade the skills of the students and to enhance their employability.

For the faculties, the strategy to implement a self-sustainable GIS&T model curricula and the exchange of good practices contributed to improve, open up and innovate in the area of institutional management and governance.

The SuGIK project also benefited government departments, local authorities, private companies and NGOs, that have now highly qualified researchers and GIS&T professionals in their personnel teams.

The alleviation of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development were addressed by the SuGIK project through two different and complementary ways:

• within the context of the academic projects developed by the students, and in their own professional activities, where the potential offered by GIS&T has been intensively explored in diverse priority areas of development (water resources; public health; natural resources management and ecosystems conservation, transportation, land use planning, public defense, utilities and communication, etc.).
• strengthening the human capital in the two partner institutions, by transferring knowledge in technical, didactic, and scientific domains, allowing for a gradual transition, based on quality criteria and adequate resource and technology use, necessary for the sustainability of the process and the continuity of GIS&T advanced teaching.

For further information download the SUGIK presentation or visit the project website.

Article prepared by Marco Paihno, Project Co-ordinator, Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação da Universidade Nova de Lisboa – ISEGIUNL