Gitile Naituli, Professor of Management at Multimedia University of Kenya and Commissioner National Cohesion & Integration Commission, Chair of Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in Africa

1. The MESA Network
Prof. Gitile Naituli, PhD
Multimedia Univeristy of
Kenya

2. What is MESA?
• An ‘on the ground’ African network
developed and maintained (with few
resources) by African professors that are
linked up with community contexts and
issues
• A space for innovation, knowledge exchange
and professional growth and development
• Started in 2004 at UNEP, still going and
slowly growing .
• Evidence of small scale innovations in
curriculum, teaching, research, community
engagement, student initiative and university

4. ESD Innovations Programme – started in 2004

5. A participatory initiative …
• Over 50 university lecturers
contributed to the conceptualisation …
• Participatory and responsive
programme design (since 2004)
• Participatory materials development
• Partnership funding and functioning
MESA - an open process –
Broadening participation
through various approaches

6. The Concept: ESD Change Projects in University
Communities of Practice
SOCIAL LEARNING
PROCESS &
OUTCOMES
ESD Innovations Course File
& Toolkit
A platform for dialogue and reflection
Many new ideas for action
Resource Team
Knowledge
Experience
Participants
Knowledge
Experience
ESD Innovations
in African
Universities
A networked
learning
Community
Leadership support

7. An initiative developed in Africa for Africa –
Exposure to different programmes, issues,
networks and resources
National University of Lesotho, University of Swaziland, University of the Western Cape, University of Malawi,
University of Botswana, Kenyatta University, Suez Canal University – Egyptt, Egerton University – Kenya, University of Zambia, UEM
(Mozambique), Suez Canal University, Makarere University, United Nations University,
Universtiy of Liberia, Mauritius Institute of Education, University of Kinshasa, Kigali Institute of Science & Technology
National University of Rwanda, Universite d’Abobo-Adjame, University of Nairobi, Global Virtual University, Ghana University of Education

8. Agreed upon learning outcomes to guide
interactions in the network
1: Conceptualise the relevance of Education
for Sustainable Development in relation
to teaching, research, community services
and management …
2: Design and apply innovative approaches
to teaching, research and /or community
services that reflect principles and values
of SD, enhance learning and use of ICT
3: Develop and apply innovative strategies
to strengthen institutional capacity for
responding to environmental and
development issues …
Every
participant:
What can you
DO to contribute
to, and achieve
these learning
outcomes?
CHANGE PROJECTS

9. The Role of Universities:
Environment, Sustainable Development and the
University in Africa
Developing a common understanding
• Is sustainable development a concern
for universities?
• Issues of environment, vulnerability
and risk in Africa
• Equip leaders and civil society to play a
greater role in shaping responsive
measures both globally and locally

10. • Prepare leaders to be accountable
• Work with marginalized communities to
have their voices heard in decision
making bodies, globally and locally
• Equip government, civil society and
business to mitigate and adapt to
climate change, environmental issues
and sustainable development
challenges
• Support for sustainability in
higher education – international

11. Innovations in Teaching, Research and
Community Engagement
Teaching, research and community engagement
work
• Education for a changing world – a new vision
• Challenging taken for granted assumptions
• Changing views about science and technology
• Bringing the social and natural sciences together
Values and transformative learning
Professional ethics and ESD in Higher Education

12. • Transformative learning
• Some insights into new learning theory
• Active learning approaches
• Using case study approaches
• Action research and community problem
solving
• Socially critical learning approaches
• Situated, reflexive learning in
communities of practice
• Engaging conflict in/as a learning process

13. Curriculum design innovations
• Changing disciplines?
• Multi-disciplinary, inter-
disciplinary, trans-
disciplinary
• Working with IK in
education
• ICT and ESD innovations in
African universities
• Assessment innovations

14. Innovations in research
• Re-orientation of epistemology (our ways of
knowing) – Sustainability Science (a new science)
• Re-orientation and broadening research
methodologies
• Re-orientation of research purposes and outputs
• Research in context
• Utilising research results effectively and ethically
Innovations in Community Engagement Work
• Service learning

15. Institutional Capacity Development for ESD
• Why focus on institutional capacity
for ESD?
• Introducing sustainable development
innovations into a university
• Understanding the culture of the
institution
• Strategy, policy and organisational
structures
• Financing and resourcing innovations

16. Mainstreaming Approaches Emerging
from MESA
• Innovation approach, start somewhere and
‘spread the practice’ outwards …
• Infusion approach, building on what is already
there with key (new) interventions
• Systems approach, review the whole system
(using participatory tools), create dialogue,
reflection and policy and practice responses
across the system
• Policy response – specific requirement across
the system

17. Leadership support is essential
AU, AAU, GHESP, UNU, GVU etc.

18. First MESA Leadership Seminar, UNEP,
2006

19. Student participation
Student Participation

20. Participation in MESA expanding rapidly…
Learning
about MESA also
expanding ….

21. MESA Hot-Spots
• Cameroon
• Cote D’Ivoire
• DRC
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• South Africa
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Uganda
• Zimbabwe
• Madagascar & & &

22. Outcomes and some successes
• Teaching changes
• Research - 3 Chairs being established
• Community Engagement
• Management Changes
• Student participation
• Networks – regional and sub-regional
NB: Knowledge of mainstreaming environment and
sustainability in African Universities
NB: A model that brings about change at grassroots
level in universities

23. Challenges
• Monitoring of on the ground outcomes and
innovations
• Resources and effective systems for ongoing
interactions and networking
• Resources to support innovation on the ground
• Institutionalisation within university systems
and structures
• Focussed thematic co-operation
• Ongoing Capacity Building
The general challenges experienced by African
Universities

24. Networking across the African continent is
empowering and broadens knowledge of
how to undertake mainstreaming, and
develops African scholarship links
Thank you!