Internal discussion panels in African partner universities

One of the key results of the AHEAD project is the establishment of university-led stakeholder-oriented innovation support structures – Innovation Hubs in African partner universities. The creation of these new structures went through a series of phases, one of which was sensitization of PC HEIs’ internal stakeholders to this structural change. Our partners from Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan universities conducted “Internal discussion panels” – events aimed to reflect on the institutional priorities for the development of research and innovation capacity, as well as to discuss the preliminary plans for the establishment of Innovation Hubs.

PC partners conducted the Internal discussion panels based on their internal agendas and schedules, as follows:

• Kenyatta University (KE): Consultative meeting (August 24, 2018) – 16 participants;
• Kibabii University (KE): Sustainable Innovation Stakeholder Forum (November 8, 2018) – 34 participants;
• Makerere University (UG): Stakeholder Panel Discussion (April 4, 2019) – 16 participants;
• The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (KE): Stakeholder Forum (November 13, 2018) – 52 participants;
• Kisii University (KE): Stakeholder workshop (March 5, 2019) – 30 participants;
• Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (TZ): Internal stakeholder discussion panel (May 17, 2019) – 21 participants;
• The State University of Zanzibar (TZ): Internal stakeholder discussion panel (April 23, 2019) – 15 participants;
• Kyambogo University (UG): Consultative meeting (March 12, 2018) – 19 participants;
• Lira University (UG): Stakeholder discussion panel (December 6, 2018) – 21 participants;
• Mount Kenya University (KE): Sensitization Forum (August 6, 2018) – 8 participants; Since the threshold of 15 participants was not met, MKU team held a follow-up Sensitization Forum on January 18, 2018. This event gathered 24 participants.

All PC partner universities managed to gather internal stakeholders for the AHEAD discussion panels bringing together between 15 and 54 participants (vice-chancellors, heads of schools, faculties, departments, academic and management staff). The total number of participants in the events was 258.

The agendas of the internal stakeholder panels differed depending on the priorities and needs of every institution. However, all events included a presentation about the project and about the results of the National Innovation System analysis and Institutional self-assessment of research and innovation capacity. The internal stakeholder panels were productive events that allowed our African partners to consider possible approaches to integrating innovation into their institutional development strategies, as well as to make preliminary plans for creation of Innovation Hubs at their institutions.