Kampala — Makerere University and its international partners have celebrated the successful completion of the INSSPIRE Project, a three-year initiative aimed at strengthening evidence-based and inclusive higher education for food systems and climate action. The project’s achievements were showcased during the final dissemination conference held on November 18 at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The event brought together scholars and project leads from universities across Europe and Africa, including the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Kenya, Benin, South Africa and Uganda. The gathering highlighted how the project has reshaped teaching, research and community engagement within participating institutions.
INSSPIRE, housed at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), has spent the past three years integrating practical, community-driven and innovation-based learning into higher education. The project focused on addressing food system challenges and strengthening climate resilience through curriculum reform, new teaching methodologies and enhanced international collaboration.
The project’s milestones include a full curriculum review to align academic content with real-world challenges and emerging job market demands. Courses were updated to emphasize problem-solving, practical engagement and climate-conscious approaches to food system management.
Real-life learning labs, introduced under the project, allowed students to apply classroom knowledge to community challenges while working alongside local farmers, policymakers and private-sector actors.
INSSPIRE also championed Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), connecting students across continents to tackle shared challenges and develop cross-cultural skills. The model is now seen as a blueprint for future digital exchange and inclusive teaching at Makerere.
More than 60 lecturers, 850 students and 500 community stakeholders directly benefitted from the project’s activities, according to Dr. Denyse Snelder of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the project’s lead institution. She also noted the formation of a community of practice linking 18 universities across Africa and Europe.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, represented by Prof. Julius Kikoma, praised the project for deepening innovation in higher education. He said INSSPIRE had reshaped Makerere’s academic landscape by encouraging experiential learning and strengthening ties between universities and communities.
Prof. Nawangwe highlighted that Uganda faces intense pressure from climate change, food insecurity and environmental degradation, adding that universities must lead in producing knowledge and solutions that directly support communities.
“Through initiatives like the INSSPIRE Project, Makerere University has worked with regional and international partners to generate evidence, influence policy and drive innovation through students, researchers and communities,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor also thanked Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam for steering the project and acknowledged support from Erasmus+, the European Union, RUFORUM, FAO and national agencies. He commended CoVAB for sustaining an environment conducive to innovation and praised the leadership of Dr. Charles Drago Kato, the Makerere team lead.
Prof. Frank Norbert Mwiine, Principal of CoVAB, noted that the college is committed to sustaining and expanding the innovations introduced under INSSPIRE. He said the hands-on teaching methods, especially the real-life labs, have already made a noticeable difference in how students engage with coursework and research.
Dr. Snelder echoed this during her presentation, highlighting gains in evidence-based education, stronger academic networks and improved collaboration between universities and communities.
As the project concludes, participating partners say the work will continue through strengthened networks, new teaching methodologies and policy engagement.
The INSSPIRE Project was designed to equip students for emerging labour market demands, shape leaders who can drive food systems transformation, and prepare societies for the rapidly changing climate. Organizers said the final dissemination conference marks not an end, but a foundation for future cooperation in building resilient and sustainable food systems across Africa and beyond.
