Together with researcher Kristin Vold Lexander and Associate Professor Espen Stranger-Johannessen, Vesteraas Danbolt has succeeded with the capacity-building programme Capacity Building in Higher Education.
– I was, of course, very pleased, as a project like this offers so many opportunities for our partners in Zambia and will strengthen the excellent collaboration we have already established. I also felt proud, as we received such a positive evaluation. And last but not least, I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the application process, says Vesteraas Danbolt.
The good news was delivered to Vesteraas Danbolt in mid-July, but finalising the agreement with the EU took a long time due to challenges with the approval of one of the Zambian institutions.
– But even in challenges, there is much to learn, and we are very pleased that the project can now move forward – thanks in large part to the invaluable assistance of advisor Andrew Davidson, says Vesteraas Danbolt.
– An important allocation
The Dean of the Faculty of Education, Morten Ørbeck, describes the funding as both significant and well-deserved.
– The strong evaluations and success in securing competitive funding are an important quality marker for our academic community and our collaborative relationships. This grant makes it possible to continue, strengthen and expand the long-standing collaboration we have had with the University of Zambia, which has largely been driven forward by Professor Anne Marit Vesteraas Danbolt. The project will be a vital contribution to our faculty’s cooperation with Southern Africa and our broader internationalisation efforts, says Ørbeck.
Strengthening partners in the south
Capacity Building in Higher Education is an EU-funded capacity-building programme focused primarily on strengthening partners in the Global South.
Both the University of Inland Norway (INN) and the University of Zambia (UNZA) are members of SANORD (Southern African-Nordic Centre) – another initiative to strengthen research and education collaborations between the Nordics and Southern Africa. Although this project is not directly linked to SANORD, the network was mentioned in the application.
The application requested nearly 400,000 euros, which, at the current exchange rate, corresponds to approximately NOK 4.7 million.
The project title is: DIALOGUES – language, literacies and learning in a digital age.
– The goal of the project is to enhance the quality of teacher education in Zambia by increasing competence in digitalisation and multilingualism. In addition, it will provide PhD students from Zambia with opportunities to take both in-person and online courses as part of the PhD programme Teaching and Teacher Education (PROFF), explains Vesteraas Danbolt.
INN is the project coordinator, meaning it is formally responsible for and leads the implementation of the project, which will commence on 1 January 2025 and run for three years.
Partners include OsloMet and the University of Iceland, alongside Chalimbana University, the Ministry of Education on behalf of Kitwe College of Education, and UNZA.
– Before long, we will establish a project management group with representatives from all six institutions involved. We will then create a progress plan – already outlined in the project application – and prepare for the launch in Zambia during the spring semester, says Vesteraas Danbolt.
Revised application after last year’s rejection
INN also applied last year but was unsuccessful. The evaluation was carefully reviewed, and the application revised and strengthened. The result was a score of 87 out of 100 points this time.
– The project has clear benefits for INN. It will strengthen our international profile, create opportunities for joint research, and enable collaboration with students from the Global South. Additionally, our staff will have the chance to participate in an international network, Vesteraas Danbolt says.
Built on long-standing collaboration
INN and UNZA, one of the project’s partners, have enjoyed a strong collaboration for many years, which this project seeks to build upon.
Vesteraas Danbolt has closely followed this partnership since 2008.
– Our collaboration with the University of Zambia is well-established, and now it is being further strengthened by including two newcomer institutions, namely Kitwe College of Education and Chalimbana University, says Vesteraas Danbolt.
Contact information:
- anne.danbolt@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 62 51 77 46