On June 4, 5, and 6, supported by the USAID Project: Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education Activity, a training session was held for academic staff to identify and develop experiential learning opportunities. The participants of this training included leaders of two Bachelor programs (Agribusiness and Forest and Environmental Sciences) at FSHJM, who were subsequently certified. Moving forward, they will train the remaining academic staff at the University.

The training focused on the professional development of the academic staff to update their materials based on experiential learning, incorporating practical aspects into lectures. This training is a continuation of capacity-building efforts to reform the curriculum. An additional focus of this training was the Corporate Panels of the sector, during which learning outcomes were reviewed in collaboration with industry experts.

• The main topics covered during the training were:
• Experiential learning and linking lectures with market demand,
• Learning by doing – incorporating practical activities for students into the curriculum,
• Elaborating on learning outcomes and aligning them with industry-required competencies,
• Exploring ‘authentic assessment’ and ‘transparent assessment.’

This training was led by Professor Lon D. Moeller, a Competency-Based Education Expert from the University of Iowa.