The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Somanya, Eastern Region, is hosting a week’s academic course titled “Feeding the Future: Sustainability and Smart Agri-Food Systems.” It is being funded by the European Union’s Erasmus + Programme under The Staff Mobility for Teaching framework, which fully supports the international mobility of visiting academic staff. The initiative forms part of the internationalisation and modernization strategies of the partner Universities and reflects their shared commitment to global academic collaboration.
Participants include; UESD faculty members, Level 400 undergraduate students, Master’s degree holders, and early-career researchers drawn from UESD and related academic communities.
The course is designed to strengthen UESD’s Global Academic Network by enhancing the international exposure of students and faculty, while embedding comparative global perspectives into teaching, research, and community engagement. Each lecture integrates international case studies, policy frameworks, and applied methodologies relevant to Ghana, Africa, and the global context.
In a welcome address, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah, noted that the training aligns strongly with the University’s mandate in environmental stewardship, sustainable development, and global academic engagement. He emphasised that the conference reinforces UESD’s broader institutional commitments under the Erasmus+ programme, the Sustainable Development Goals, and international partnerships.
Prof. Wiafe Debrah said, sustained engagement with leading global scholars, practitioners, and policy experts is critical to developing sustainable solutions to the pressing challenges facing the world today. He explained that the course focuses on four interlinked thematic pillars: food security and sustainable agricultural systems, responsible and climate-smart mining, environmental restoration and biodiversity conservation, and inclusive sustainable development.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor stated that the initiative seeks to advance UESD’s internationalization agenda through structured academic exchange with European partner institutions. Also, to enhance students’ competencies in global and local food security, sustainable resource management, and agri-food policy analysis, while supporting the University’s strategic focus on education for sustainable development, climate resilience, and sustainable ecosystems. It is expected to deepen institutional collaboration with the University of Bornholm and support future Erasmus+ mobility and twin programme initiatives.
The training is being facilitated by Dr. Eefje Aamoudsa from the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, with support from Mona Lisa Marembe. As part of the engagement, the facilitators are promoting a collaborative research initiative to the University Academic Community titled “Interfaces of Sustainable Land Management in Africa.” The proposed project seeks to advance interdisciplinary research, strengthen knowledge exchange, and generate policy-relevant insights into sustainable land use practices across the African continent.
Expected outcomes of the training include increased exposure to international teaching methodologies, analytical tools, and global case studies in food and nutrition security. The visiting academic staff are also expected to strengthen professional and institutional linkages between UESD and their home institutions, fostering long-term collaboration in sustainability-oriented education and research. Ultimately, the initiative will further consolidate UESD’s profile as a regional hub for sustainability, agri-food systems, and international academic partnerships.