By Joseph Odoi

On September 29, 2023, Africa Rural University (ARU)  took another step towards building  a new  partnership by welcoming three students from  Wageningen University   (WUR)  namely;  Rodrigo Lima , Julia Noorlander  and Tessa Marseille   through the “Students Consultancy Project for African Rural University,” in collaboration with Mustard Seed Trust.

The main Purpose of the Students’ visit  is to explore synergies for ARU’s resource mobilization and to establish lasting relationships between students and staff from  Wageningen University  (WUR) and African Rural University.

In a conversation with the  Wageningen University students this morning at the Centre for Reflection, ARU Vice Chancellor- Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe, in a special way, welcomed the students to African Rural University, a value-based, all-women university in Kagadi District, Uganda. As part of his presentation , Dr. Mwalimu introduced the students to ARU Education Model, highlighting the uniqueness of ARU’s vision and mission model that calls for a re-orientation of the mindset and generates energy around visions and possibilities, rather than problem-solving.

ARU Vice Chancellor , Dr- Mwalimu  Musheshe responding to a question on the ARU Educational Model

Citing a section of ARU Education Model, Dr. Mwalimu noted that ‘Lasting change occurs when people shift from reacting to events to being creators of their own circumstances.’

Because of that, he noted that ARU students introduce communities to the principles of the creative process.

Within this creative process, Dr. Mwalimu elaborated on key elements that include vision, understanding the current reality, and recognizing the resultant structural tension. It is through this framework that, together with the community, students collaboratively formulate action plans with a clear focus on achieving specific and result-oriented outcomes. This, he noted, leads to the emergence of self-generating development, with both the community members and the students actively participating as integral agents of change.

Furthermore, Dr. Mwalimu introduced the  Wageningen University    University team to the historical pathways through which African Rural University has made a significant impact on local communities.

In this session,  Wageningen University   team led by Rodrigo  Lima thanked African Rural University- Vice Chancellor and staff for promoting a unique model based on a visionary approach to development, adding that they will learn as much as they can and work with ARU to promote the unique education model.

Right to Left -Rodrigo Lima , Julia Noorlander and Tessa Marseille during an engagement at Centre For Reflection

This event attracted over 30 participants, including ARU staff, traditional wisdom specialists, new students, and members of the URDT Community. Notable figures in attendance included ARU Academic Registrar Mr. Lwanga Anthony  Claret , Mr. John Tusiime – ARU’s Community Engagement Lead, Ms. Milly Desire – Administrator at ARU Dean’s Office, and Dr. Jerome Bagenda – the Faculty Dean at ARU.

BRIEF ABOUT ARU-WUR PROJECT

It all began in September 2023 when Mustard Seed Trust recognized that ARU was actively fundraising for a multipurpose project. Understanding the importance of this endeavor, Mustard Seed Trust initiated a connection between ARU and  Wageningen University    & Research (WUR). 6 WUR’s master’s students were subsequently called upon to lend their support while simultaneously working on their academic projects. The students namely; Rodrigo Lima , Julia Noorlander ,Tessa Marseille, Pherenikè Weenink, Lucie Malánová ,Julia Noorlander Roosmarie Vriens will work on the consultancy project for – two (2 )Weeks starting from 29^th September, 2023 to 13^th October 2023.  During the final week of their stay at ARU Campus, WUR students will visit Epicentre Managers and ARU Students in Communities to gain insights into the practical implementation of ARU’s education strategy, known as the Epicenter Strategy.

Below is a summary of Key Outputs expected from this Project