Innovation through education

By Katie Deska, Jan. 2017

Like in the US, the private sector in Malawi relies on an educated and creative workforce to lead the nation through the next phase of growth. And, as the county’s premier agricultural college, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) has the opportunity to heavily impact the region’s progress toward food security.

In the midst of a multiyear drought, Malawians face unpredictable growing seasons, stunted crop yields, and related hardships such as malnutrition and loss of income. An increasing population, coupled with the trend of urbanization, adds further strain to farmers and families. To address the current challenges, researchers, educators, students and government officials focus on developing innovative.

Michigan State University’s Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) partnered with LUANAR to host the inaugural Innovation Scholars Program, a 12-month professional development program designed for faculty and administrators in Lilongwe.

“We’re attempting to solve issues around food security by empowering LUANAR faculty to create their own solutions,” said Kurt Richter, assistant director of GCFSI. “Arriving at innovation means something has to be done differently—to change the outcome you have to change the thinking.”

With that in mind, GCFSI held the third workshop for scholars on the Lilongwe campus in December of 2016.

Throughout the three-day workshop, facilitators took time to emphasize to scholars the principles, techniques and methods of design thinking and systems thinking. To help bridge the gap between research and application, an interactive forum was held for stakeholders and the university community to discuss the need for innovation and partnerships. Individuals from the private sector, including a LUANAR graduate who now works in the landscape architecture business, were in attendance with the director of national education assessment for Malawi; the director of assessment at LUANAR; the president of the student body; and officials from the government, including a member of Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Aimed at catalyzing the skills of faculty and administrators at LUANAR, the Innovation Scholars Program encourages participants to conceptualize solutions to real-world problems utilizing local knowledge. Rather than lecturing at participants, the Innovation Scholars Program is designed to engage LUANAR staff as they conceptualize solutions to current problems. To do so, faculty members receive grants used to fund solution-focused research projects, which are informed by content presented during the series of workshops.

“You know when you go to a good conference and leave with all these great ideas, and then never find a way to apply them? We’re trying to stop that from happening,” said Richter, noting that one participant is developing an app for tutoring biochemistry.

While the university has been growing in popularity—jumping from 1,000 to 6,000 students over the last decade—teachers and students continue to face logistical challenges, including a lack of electricity and internet, unwieldy class sizes, and a shortage of classroom space. Although such challenges have the potential to impede student success, there remains viable opportunity for innovative thinking that plays a role in alleviating food insecurity.