esavana: the east and southern african virginia networks and … · 2011. 12. 21. · savana in...

R.J. Swap, Sustainability & Health Symposium 02/22/2008

ESAVANA: The East and Southern African Virginia Networks and Associations Program

Bob Swap Research Associate Professor

Director of the UVA in Southern Africa Program Environmental Sciences / Global Development Studies

University of Virginia


“Seek to understand before being understood”

Africa is the continent where humans, fire and the environment co-evolved


A Bit on the Evolution of ESAVANA

The Programmatic Roots of ESAVANA at the University of Virginia

•  The Southern African Fire – Atmosphere Research Initiative – SAFARI-92 (1991-1996)

•  The Southern African Regional Science Initiative – SAFARI 2000 (1998 – 2003)

•  The Southern Africa Virginia Networks and Associations (2000 – 2006)

•  National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students (2006 to present)


The Southern African Regional Science Initiative - SAFARI 2000


SAFARI 2000 Program Approach and Philosophy

•  Bottom-up science initiative •  Participation was open to all but – it was BYOB - using

the SAFARI 2000 Science Plan as leverage to access national, regional and international funding sources

•  NO HIT AND RUN SCIENCE! •  Emphasis on International Collaboration – Used existing

international frameworks that also allowed for bilateral and regional initiatives

•  Developed a broad umbrella for regional research, making it ‘inclusive’ - but with a focused ‘Core Experiment’, agreed upon data policy and planned scientific synthesis.


Incorporated following sentiments of regional partners: • African environmental research needs to have societal relevance

• Regional environmental research results need to be policy relevant

• Enhance regional science capacity and recognition

• Lay the foundation for longer-term regional observations and environmental monitoring

Approach and Philosophy Continued (cont.)


Success of SAFARI 2000 depended upon:

• Regionality

• Open lines of communication

• Community of trust

• Ability to leverage and collaborate

• Willingness to pursue value added science

1+1≠2; 1+1 = >>2

• Commitment to capacity recognition (or awareness) enhancement, and development of intellectual legacy

*4 papers 38 authors 45 papers

290 authors 12 papers

52 authors

As of August 2004 a total of 99 peer-reviewed scientific papers published with more to appear in 2005

*The first results appeared in a regional journal in early 2002

Some Examples of SAFARI Special Issues

Data Products Supplied to Region

CD-ROM Series Over 500 sets produced

RC-10 Camera Imagery left in region

Vols. 1&2 OF CD-ROM Series Distributed In-Region

Data Products Supplied to Region cont. Landsat 7 ETM+ (~190 scenes)

IKONOS Imagery (~30 scenes)

Etosha

Mongu

Okavango

Example of Feeding SAFARI-2000 Science to Regional Policy

Products from APINA Science to Policy Dialogue, Maputo, Sep. 2003


Institutional and Educational Products of SAFARI 2000:

the Knock-on Effect


The Southern African Virginia Networks and Associations Consortium - SAVANA

•  University Consortium Initially Based on Environmental Research, Education and Outreach in Southern Africa

•  Southern African Virginia Networks and Associations -

–  University of Botswana – Gaborone Botswana –  University of Eduardo Mondlane - Maputo Mozambique –  University of Venda - Thohoyandou, South Africa –  University of Virginia – Charlottesville, Virginia –  University of the Witwatersrand – Johannesburg, South Africa

•  Started in 2000, formalized in July 2002, announced publicly at the WSSD in Johannesburg, August 2002


The Southern African Virginia Networks and Associations Consortium - SAVANA

With science focus on: •  Regional Response to Global Change (due to Natural and

Anthropogenic Forces) and how that relates to sustainability •  State Change/Integrated System Response across

Interactive Time and Space Scales up to that of the Region •  Study of human systems (social, economic, political and public

health) as they impact regional environmental functioning •  Consequences of Policy on Environment at Regional Scales —

the Translation of Science to Policy.


The practice of our consortium science has changed somewhat as SAFARI 2000 results have pointed to the need to incorporate research on human systems and livelihoods to understand regional environmental functioning.

Accordingly consortium activities have broadened from environmental sciences to other branches of knowledge to include other near-term high priority research projects, especially community health and sustainable development.

The Academic Roots of ESAVANA at the University of Virginia

•  People, Culture and Environment of Southern Africa (2002 - present)

•  Independent and Supervised Undergraduate Research (2002 – present)

•  Ethics, Protocols and Practice of International Research (2006 - present)

•  Engineering in Community Settings (2008 – present) •  Useful Knowledge and its Impact on Local and Global

Communities (2009) •  Development on the Ground (2009)



People, Culture and Environment in Southern Africa – Summer Study Abroad Program:

Interdisciplinary course to gain insight into the role the environment plays in shaping the people and culture of southern Africa within the enabling framework of SAVANA.

Since 2002, over 100 students from the U.S. and 25 from southern Africa have participated


Ethics, Protocols and Practice of International Research – J-Term Course

•  Comprehensive introduction of best practices of ethical engagement and mutually respectful protocols

•  Collaboratively presented and mentored with colleagues from SAVANA in interactive seminar / discussion format

•  Produces collaboratively developed project proposals •  Since 2006, more than 70 U.S. Students and 28 Southern

African colleagues have participated


Student Service Learning, Outreach and Research in Southern Africa related to

SAVANA •  More than 55 undergraduate and graduate students from U.Va.

(Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Nursing) and more than twice that number of in-region SAVANA colleagues, have participated in international research and or service learning activities. from 09/03 to present. Student groups include: Engineering Students without Borders, Nurses without Borders, the Global Development Organization, and the UNIVEN Global Sustainability Club


Lessons Learned About Large Scale Collaborative Research and Challenges

with the Way Forward….


Respect… Reciprocity… Relationship…


Science and Education

It is cutting-edge science, science that addresses in-region needs that will attract and sustain in-region political, institutional, faculty, and student interest.

Given the differences between southern African and northern hemisphere ecosystems, and given the differences southern African traditional uses of land and more recent northern hemisphere conceptions of nature/ecology, northern hemisphere scientists have a great deal to learn from in-region partners.


Ethics

From start to finish, in region partners must be stakeholders in research that takes place in their region; collaborative research must build in-region capacity and research results must stay in the region. This ethical imperative has important consequences for communication and project management.


Project Scale and Follow-on

Large-scale multi-year regional environmental science and education projects are ideal for developing strong collaborations because they create and reinforce networks that provide forums for developing trust, demonstrating results, and building in-region capacity.

What we need, if only for the sake of better American science and education, are mechanisms for building on the foundations that are laid and opportunities that result from cutting-edge research and education activities.

We do not need nor do not want to ‘re-create the wheel’


In order for action research, experiential education and outreach about the region to move forward it has

to be of benefit to the region

The only way to know if it is of benefit to the region is to be engaged with our collaborators from the

outset

This is done by establishing a respectful relationship and engaging in meaningful dialogue with the region

ESAVANA: The Vision


To provide learners with an intellectual environment that supports the process of inquiry and action

research with results

To be the distinctive model for international experiential learning, action research and respectful

community engagement targeted at enhancing the capacity, both domestic and international, to address

real world problems in East and Southern Africa

To serve as an academic model for engaging other regions of the world that have similar needs



Global Development Studies -

ESAVANA

College of Arts and Sciences

Research Physical, Social, Educational

Applied, Practice

Teaching /Mentoring Undergraduate, Graduate

Academic, Summer, Jterm

Outreach/ Community Engagement

Students: ESWB, GDO, SEED, ASB, NSWB

Local Communities: NGO/CBO/CSO

Nursing

Medicine

Engineering & Applied Science

Commerce

Architecture

Education

Community Based Undergraduate Research

Grants

Public

Harrison Undergraduate Research Fellowships

Graduate Dissertation Funding

International

Jefferson Public Citizens ACE Grants

Graduate Training

Major Programmatic Emphases

•  Anchoring Faculty –  ‘formal’ academic setting – Global Development Studies –  ‘informal’ experiential education, action research, service

learning

•  Inspiring the Next Generation –  attracting and retraining best interdisciplinary grad students –  attracting and challenging the best interdisciplinary

undergraduates

•  Respecting the Knowledge and Wisdom –  Contributing to capacity recognition and enhancement of our

international colleagues and their communities –  Facilitation of respectful and reciprocal community engagement

for sustainable solutions to real world problems


Current Activities…

•  Academic activities –  Assessment of student learning outcomes of the preparatory,

formal and informal educational experiences of students working with ESAVANA related activities

–  Useful Knowledge course –  Development on the Ground course (Group projects focused on

action research and service learning) –  Engineering in Community Settings (Group projects focused on

engineering solutions and projects to community needs) –  Independent Studies with Student Groups that are producing

reflective articles on the implementation and impact of their summer projects


Next Steps…

•  Immediate October through the end of the year: –  Seeking counsel and advice regarding the idea, the articulation

of the vision of ESAVANA –  Developing and disseminating concise and clear information as

to the vision, structure and possible implementation mechanism for ESAVANA

–  Preparing for the Ethics, Protocols and Practices of International Research January Term course with visitors from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia


Next Steps cont. …

•  January 15-16: –  Gathering of those interested to interact with UVA and

southern African participants in the 2010 January term course both inside and outside of the classroom setting

–  Afternoon of listening to final student projects –  Late afternoon reception on the Lawn –  Saturday session on ESAVANA –  Saturday evening social activity involving the Africans at the

Sat. Jan 16th 2010 UVA basketball game



In conclusion…

We continue to draw increasing numbers of students, both U.S. and African, from undergraduate and graduate ranks who share sentiments similar to below:

“For me, an area of moral clarity is: you're in front of someone who's suffering and you have the tools at your disposal to alleviate that suffering or even eradicate it, and you act.” Paul Farmer

We seek you guidance and counsel regarding helping us realize this opportunity…


Questions?

[email protected]; http://people.virginia.edu/~rjs8g


As a Northern Hemisphere partner in the consortium, our role has evolved to include:

• Facilitation of collaborative research projects (with intensive face-to-face planning; pilot field projects; 1-3 year sustained data collection; milestone evaluation)

• Seed funding from institutional funds for project planning and pilot work; Our seed funding serving as a cost share with in-region partners who provide field sites and local mentoring for our students

• Fundraising from third parties for project support (including doctoral level training for junior faculty partners), in collaboration with in-region partners


There is only one event but there are many ways of observing it, all of which

have some degree of validity


History and Culture

The social and economic histories of southern African countries are extremely complex; the rate of social and economic change is accelerating rapidly. Thus, it takes some time to develop trust and good working relationships, because there is so much to sort out in professional and institutional relationships.

esavana: the east and southern african virginia networks and … · 2011. 12. 21. · savana in...

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