Restoration Ecology Collaboration between Malawi and Iceland Continues to GRÓ (grow)
Last week, GRÓ LRT welcomed two staff members from LUANAR, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Malawi, through a visit funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The visit formed part of an ongoing collaboration focused on Restoration Ecology, Sustainable land management, curriculum development, and capacity building.
The delegation included Dr. Principal Mdolo, a lecturer at LUANAR and a specialist in Chemical Engineering, and Dr. Evance Chaima, senior lecturer at LUANAR. The main goal of the visit was to facilitate knowledge exchange between LUANAR and the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI), support the development of LUANAR’s Restoration Ecology curriculum, and strengthen institutional collaboration.
During the visit, Dr. Mdolo and Dr. Chaima met with specialists at AUI, the Head of Teaching, former supervisors, and GRÓ LRT staff. Discussions focused on continued cooperation, research collaboration, teaching approaches, and the development of a graduate programme in Restoration Ecology at LUANAR, drawing on Icelandic expertise and experience in restoration ecology.
As part of the visit, Dr. Mdolo gave a lecture to the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme fellows, where he shared his professional experience and reflected on how the training has contributed to his development. He also participated in the event From Knowledge to Development Impact: Ecosystem Restoration and Sustainable Land Management, hosted by the GRÓ Centre, GRÓ LRT, AUI and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland. As the keynote speaker, he discussed how his experience in the GRÓ Land Restoration Training Programme has influenced his work as a lecturer at LUANAR and strengthened the connection between practical training, academic teaching, and professional activities in Malawi.
The visit is expected to contribute to strengthened academic collaboration between LUANAR and AUI, provide valuable input for curriculum development in Restoration Ecology at LUANAR, and enhance professional capacity through shared experiences and training.
The visit was not all about meetings and hard work, since the visitors also had the chance to go on some road trips. They went to Gunnarsholt to meet Dr. Mdolo’s supervisor from 2016, to Borgarfjörður and finally they used the last day to explore the geothermal area of Seltún, Kleifarvatn and Grindavík.
GRÓ LRT has welcomed five fellows from LUANAR since the first participant joined the six-month training programme in 2015. We are grateful for the strong and growing partnership and look forward to continued collaboration in the years ahead.
Photos from the event: Kristinn Ingvarsson
Other photos: GRÓ LRT staff
