AgrGROW Workshop Builds Capacity for Climate-Smart Agropreneurship Education
The Climate-Smart Agropreneurship Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in Eastern and Southern Africa (AgrGROW) project has taken a major step toward transforming higher education in Malawi and Uganda by equipping academic staff with advanced skills in online and blended learning.
From 8th to 12th September 2025, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) hosted a capacity-building workshop at its campus in Lilongwe, Malawi. The training brought together lecturers and facilitators from across the AgrGROW consortium with the aim of strengthening competencies in delivering effective online teaching.
The workshop builds on an earlier training held in March 2025, which was co-organised by LUANAR and Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Finland. During the sessions, participants reflected on challenges faced in online teaching and learning and discussed strategies to overcome national-level barriers to digital learning. A strong emphasis was placed on problem-based pedagogical approaches, which are central to preparing graduates capable of driving innovation in climate-smart agribusinesses.
LUANAR is part of a six-university consortium implementing the AgrGROW project. HAMK coordinates the initiative and brings together Makerere University (MAK) and Bugema University (BU) in Uganda, the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and LUANAR in Malawi, the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM).
Participants noted that the skills gained will not only improve the quality of teaching and learning but will also ensure that graduates are practically prepared to establish and expand climate-smart agribusinesses. The workshop reaffirmed the central role of universities in addressing pressing challenges of climate change and food security through education and innovation.
For more information about the project. visit the website https://agrgrow.org/
