FinCEAL Plus started in January 2015 as an expansion and continuation of the FinCEAL Project (2012-2014), both funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The aims of the FinCEAL Plus project were to: 1. Increase and consolidate the Finnish bi-regional cooperation towards Africa, Asia, and the LAC region, with special emphasis on supporting Finnish researchers’ involvement in European bi-regional networks; 2. Support and consolidate the participation of Finnish experts in EU-Africa, EU-CELAC and EU- Asia bi-regional research and science policy dialogues; 3. Increase the knowledge about and visibility of Finnish cooperation towards the target regions within Finland; 4. Expand the awareness of Finnish expertise in the regions; and 5. Expand and consolidate the Finnish research communities’ awareness of cooperation possibilities with the EU, Africa, Asia and LAC region. 6. Throughout all the project activities, strengthening the Finnish universities’ global responsibility and making it more systematic and measurable.

Team

Eva Kagiri, Kajsa Ekroos, Jarkko Mutanen, Melissa Plath

Improving our understanding of human-environment relations, and particularly of human motivations, rationale and management regimes, is paramount to the success of any biodiversity conservation initiative involving local communities. By comparing approaches, challenges and successes across case study sites, this research aims to identify those contextual settings, socio-cultural traits, incentives, and practical tools that best foster optimum long-term integration of biodiversity conservation and local wellbeing.

Team

Anita Heim; Attila Paksi; Aina Brias; Marketta Vuola; Mohammad Mozumder

Edible insects as food for humans is fast gaining global recognition as a key driver to underpin developmental efforts for addressing the interrelated challenges of food security, poverty, nutrition and climate change. However, technologies to ensure sustainable supply of edible insects to meet the increasing demand are not available. This project is aimed to develop a sustainable technology for mass rearing a highly popular and valuable grasshopper (Ruspolia differens) in eastern Africa based on ecological and biological knowhow, and to roll out the knowledge and skills to local communities.

Team

Heikki Roininen, Anu Valtonen, Geoffrey Malinga, Philip Nyeko, Vilma Lehtovaara, Robert Opoke, Karlmax Rutaro, Riitta Julkunen-Tiitto, Tommi Nyman, Okia A. Clement, Francis Omujal, Stefan T. Jaronski, Paul Vantomme

The two-year project NAMURBAN (Urban Resource Efficiency in Developing Countries) pilot study of Walvis Bay, Namibia is research work of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) from Finland and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Namibia. The research is aimed at developing a framework for urban resource efficiency utilization in developing countries using Namibia as a pilot country.

Team

Heikki Koivisto, Meri Olenius

The objective of the research and innovation staff exchange project is to contribute to solving the issues related to the youth unemployment in developing countries by developing participatory tools for human development that enable transformational change for the youth. Based on a service design approach, the project will provide tools for the marginalized youth suitable for daily use, enhancing regional democracy, increasing equal opportunities and contributing to human and service development with a particular target group: the San people, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa and in the Omaheke region in Namibia.

Team

Satu Miettinen, Hanna-Riina Vuontisjärvi, Retha de la Harpe, Vikki du Preez, Heike Winschiers, Shilumbe Chivuno-Kuria, Tang Tang, Paul Wilson, Hennie Swart, Fabrizio Pierandrei, Silvia Remotti

This project, aims to explore the advantages of traditional fermentations methods of whole grain consumption and current knowledge of cereal bioprocessing in order to develop affordable and acceptable cereal fibre-rich products for both Africa and Europe. The project takes a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together experts on food technology, food chemistry, microbiology and nutrition in Africa (Kenya and Burkina Faso) and Europe (Finland and Portugal).

Team

Prof. Kati Katina, Dos Rosanna Coda, Dr. Ndegwa Maina, Yagin Wang Prof. Elisabete Pinto, Prof. Ana Gomes, Dr. Ana Pimenta,Catarina Vila Real, Prof. Samuel Mbugua, Dr Catherine Kunyanga, Hanna Mugure Dr. Hagrétou SAWADOGO-LINGANI, Clarisse Dawende Compare, Diarra Compaore-Sereme

Indigenous people who are historical creators of knowledge about food, are among the most impoverished, food insecure people of the contemporary world. This is often due to regulations over the usage of natural resources and very rapid changes in social settings, climatic patterns and cultural practices. This has significantly transformed the diets of indigenous people’s worldwide, non-exemption of the Khwe San indigenous people of Namibia. Today, not only are less food available to the Khwe, but also in reduced nutritional quality. The widely available processed foods and Food Aid deliveries have created dependencies and undermined traditional food systems and health.

Team

Prof. Juha Helenius, Dr. Aili Pyhälä

The project is part of All Children Reading - A Grand Challenge for Development innovation competition by World Vision, USAID and Australian Aid. The purpose of the project is to pilot mobile teacher training service for better literacy instruction in Zambian languages.

Team

Eritrea Learning for All (ELFA) is a Higher Education Institutional Cooperation programme between Eritrea Institute of Technology (EIT) and the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. The overall objective of ELFA is to enable EIT personnel develop their educational professional capacity in educational leadership and management, teacher education and pedagogy, learning related research methodology, use of ICT in education, literacy and numeracy learning, inclusive education and special needs education with a focus on learning difficulties. In collaboration with Finnish experts the EIT participants will design and pilot assessment tools and pedagogical programmes applied to the Eritrean context.

Team

Dr. Elina Lehtomäki, Dr. Päivi Fadjukoff, Dr. Suzanne Adhiambo Puhakka, Khalid Idris, Zecarias Zemichael Woldu, Abraham Belay, Ermias Melake Tesfay, Amare Teclemicael Mebrahtu, Dr. Yonas Mesfun Asfaha, Amare Teclemicael Mebrahtu, Menghisteab Teklemichael, Samuel Mebrahtu Bahta, , Dr. Markku Leskinen, Dr. Eija Raikkonen, Dr. Matti Kuorelahti, Dr. Anita Malinen, Dr. Ulla-Maija Valleala, Prof. Heikki Lyytinen, Prof. Mikko Aro, Prof. Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen, Doctoral Candidate Emma Ojanen, Dr. Pekka Räsänen, Dr. Tuire Koponen, Doctoral Candidate Jonna Salminen, Prof. Aini-Kristiina Jappinen, Mika Risku, Dr. Antti Pirhonen

The primary objective of the PhD study is to understand and analyse the role that Traditional Ecological Knowledge plays in relation to the multiple domains of well-being among the youth of an indigenous, former hunter-gatherer tribe.

Team

Assistant Professor Pirjo Virtanen, Dr Aili Pyhälä, Professor Barry Gills