TD ) MALAWI TEVET REFORM PROJECT
into the engineering programs .” President Vianne Timmons ’ s and U of R Board of Governors ’ Chair , Dr . Susan Barber ’ s participation in the workshop in Malawi relating to access , retention , and success of female students and faculty in higher education institutions contributed to important gender results .
Further impacts include minimizing the significant effect of HIV / AIDS through awareness training for faculty , staff , and students . As well , environmental protection through safe disposal of pollutants common in technical training institutions was highlighted through appropriate program and course design , and new environmental policy was developed at the Malawi Polytechnic .
Unanticipated Project Impacts : Beyond these planned outcomes , several unanticipated outcomes developed . Memorandums of Understanding for continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest were signed between the U of R and Malawian institutions ; faculty and staff utilized new knowledge , skills , and abilities to train colleagues in other faculties , departments , and TEVET-based agencies ; a mobility fund available to the Polytechnic beyond the timeframe of the project was established at the U of R to allow visiting scholars to visit and study a variety of topics ; the Teaching and Learning Unit at the Polytechnic was revitalized ; and the Malawi Polytechnic experienced increased influence within the TEVET system .
In addition , the twinning of an elementary school in Regina with a primary school in Malawi , along with a book drive have increased awareness about Malawi ’ s development challenges . Partly as a result of the increased awareness created by the project , faculty members in the Department of Technical Education have decided to pursue graduate and doctoral studies , with funding support from the African Development Bank and the World Bank . Another unanticipated outcome is that Canadian Project Manager Elaine McNeil was selected by the European Union Delegation in Malawi to conduct a feasibility study on TEVET in Malawi in preparation for the development of a Euro 160 million TEVET project . These significant achievements show , as Dr . Kathy Nolan says , “ the importance of international development work — it counts and is valued by individuals on many levels .”
Collaboration was critical to the success of this project . Dr . Kathy Nolan says , “ In my mind , the biggest impact of the project rests in the relationships and collaborations built between University of Regina faculty and the University of Malawi Polytechnic faculty . I don ’ t think CIDA has yet found a way to measure relationships on their impact scale , or else there would be more funding available for projects like these .” A number of collaborators were involved with this project . Beyond the two lead institutions , the Adult Education and Human Resource Development Program , Faculty of Education , U of R and the Technical Education Department , Faculty of Education , and Media Studies , University of Malawi Polytechnic , additional partner institutions included Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology ( SIAST , now named Saskatchewan Polytechnic ); University of the Fraser Valley ( UFV ), Ranch Ehrlo Society ; Malawi ’ s Ministry of Education , Science , and Technology ( MoEST ); Forum of African Women Educationalists of Malawi ( FAWEMA ); Malawi ’ s Technical , Entrepreneurial , Vocational Education and Training Authority ( TEVETA ); and Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( MCCCI ).
The project team found the support from the top administration of each lead institution was critical to the success of the project . Further , the close partnership between the project team members at the U of R and those in Malawi was essential to the enhancement of commitment to the project by the teams and management at the lead partner institutions in both countries , and to the quick resolution of issues which arose from time to time . Doris Mtemang ’ ombe says “ I am delighted to acknowledge the partnerships that have developed out of the project . We have built an extended family and the links are ongoing ; it is as if the Poly has another Faculty of Education at the U of R .” Understanding institutional cultures , including bureaucratic and administrative systems , helped to limit the frustrations caused by reporting delays . As Dr . Margaret Dagenais ( SIAST ) says , “ Enhancing cross-cultural understanding and learning how some aspects of our lives are similar and how our experiences differ ” was a major impact of this project . For example , she adds , “ we may have similar
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Faculty of Education Education News Spring / Summer 2014 Page 9