Access to clean and affordable energy is an important basis for the sustainable development of a country and for the quality of life of the population. The universities can contribute with the supply of skilled human resources and through relevant research objectives. Distributed Renewable Energy Systems are now emerging as competitive alternatives to the extensions of the national electrical grid. This is an area of energy technology calling for innovation and new technical solutions (small scale combined hydro, wind, solar and bioenergy). Universities taking on these challenges, with a problem solving approach, can then have a direct impact on the society. The partner universities have collaborated on research and education in energy technology during the last 10 years. The results have been new and sustainable master programs on renewable energy technology at all universities. The partners now acknowledge the needs for strengthening the doctoral programs. As doctoral programs are research intensive, as the number of PhD candidates currently is quite low and as the university resources are limited, a cost efficient path towards improved PhD programs is to approach this jointly.The main outputs of the combined efforts among the Curriculum Partners will be a joint curriculum (Joint PhD Course Catalogue) and joint access to improved and specialized research facilities (Training Nodes). The long term aim is that this university network shall be sustained as a Network of Excellence in the area of Energy Technology. The further continuing improvements of laboratory resources and educational material shall be accessible to the Network Partners, and also facilitate the development of PhD level programs at the Training Partners in the project.

DALILA project aims to support the modernization, accessibility and market-oriented of higher education in the Partner Countries in order to contribute to the development of sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth (in addition to national ownership, social cohesion, equity, proper geographical balance and diversity). The main priority of the project is to enhance the capacities of the target higher education institutions (HEIs) in Tanzania and Uganda on Renewable Energy and Green Economy and to strengthen the connection of HEIs with local labor market demand for skills, giving to the new experts suitable competences to invest on the field with own business challenges.The project proposal aims to answer to the growing request of energy in both countries and to the new market job opportunities in the renewable energy sector in order to contribute to poverty reduction and to identify solutions and create more access and opportunity for all students.The main objective of the project proposal is to establish n. 6 new courses on “Renewable Technologies” and “Green Business creation and development” in 2 Universities in Tanzania and 2 in Uganda. The courses will be based on an innovative approach that includes the promotion of an equal access to higher education and the facilitation of students’ transition to work.

The direct dependence of humans on ecosystem services is by far strongest in developing regions where poverty restricts access to resources. This dependency also makes people in developing countries more sensitive to climate change than their developed counterparts. Increasing human populations deteriorates natural habitat, biodiversity and ecosystems services which spiral into poverty and low human welfare. This calls for innovative solutions that encompass the entire socio-ecological-economic system, as recognized on a global scale in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. However, innovative and practical solutions require downscaling to regional levels for identifying concrete sets of drivers of change. For Africa specifically, the interplay of human population growth, land use change, climate change and human well-being is a major challenge. This project focuses on the Serengeti-Maasai Mara Ecosystem and associated agricultural areas, a region in East Africa that encompasses parts of Kenya and Tanzania. The ecosystem is world-famous for key aspects of its biodiversity, such as the migration of 1.3 million wildebeest. This ‘flagship ecosystem’ role will enhance the international interest in the project. In this project, internationally leading researchers from Norway, the Netherlands, Scotland, Denmark and Germany are teaming up with strong local partners in Tanzania and Kenya. The research will be organised in seven interlinked work packages: 1) assemble and integrate the so far separate Kenyan and Tanzanian relevant data on the region; 2) quantify the connections between human population growth, land use change, climate change and biodiversity change; 3) test how biodiversity change leads to changes in key ecosystem services; 4) quantify the dependence of human livelihoods on these ecosystem services. We will implement innovative ways for communication and dissemination of the results of ‘continuous engagement’ by local stakeholders.