Borlaug Higher Education for Agricultural Research and Development

Uganda CAES-ISP

Makerere University’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and Michigan State University’s Borlaug Higher Education for Agriculture Research and Development (BHEARD) Program with the support of the MSU’s Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) launched the CAES Innovation Scholars Program (CAES-ISP) in 2020. 

The CAES-ISP is an 18- month internationally piloted academic personnel development program that develops scholars’ innovation mindsets. It then provides an opportunity to practice innovation to improve the value, efficiency, and effectiveness of their teaching, research, and outreach engagements. An inaugural cohort of nine faculty and top management scholars will be trained in Human Centered Design as part of the process to advance CAES in achieving the strategic vision “to be a leading institution of academic excellence and innovations in Africa.” 

The CAES-ISP aligns with BHEARD’s two objectives to strengthen and develop individual and institutional capacity. The program operationalizes these objectives through two inter-related tracks that foster human- centered design thinking: Top Management Track (TM) and the Faculty Track (FT).  The goal of the TMT is to lead change toward the institutionalization of the innovation culture in CAES. The goals of the FT  include:

• Demonstrate transformed ways of teaching to facilitate student learning (especially skills and competencies for innovation)
• Design, develop, and conduct research that responds to client (community, institution, social group, student) needs for social impact
• Improve engagement with communities, public and private sectors
• Communicate the nature and importance of scientific and innovative work to diverse audiences.