Using Co-Design to initiate partnerships with universities in the global south

This presentation reports on a co-design, participatory process carried out in SETU in February 2024 facilitated by the above authors, following the four-stage process of White et al (2023). It brought together researchers from the global south and global north to explore the role of universities in creating solutions for addressing food insecurity, and youth unemployment in Niassa Province, Northern Mozambique. Co-design is seen as crucial for sustained adoption and use of solutions, for crossing disciplines and cultural boundaries and for designing solutions for resource-constrained people living in developing countries (Jagtap 2022). Using a snowball sampling technique, 20 participants with experience and expertise in land sciences, science, circular economy, technology, entrepreneurship and humanities were recruited to take part in the study. Ethical approval was granted by SETU Research Committee (SETUREC23/24/003) in January 2024. The aim was to generate research questions and produce a research plan that would integrate the perspectives of multiple disciplines, while fore fronting the needs and rights of communities in Niassa Province, Mozambique. Data were collected and preliminary analysis was carried out by the participants during a workshop. Among the themes that emerged were: Closing the Gender Gap; Networks and Relationships; Education, Research and Skills. Further analysis is ongoing by the authors which indicates the potential of co-design processes for creating spaces where bottom-up, reciprocal, principled and meaningful partnerships with researchers in universities from both contexts can be initiated and emerge organically.