Advancing students’ professional competence through collaborative internships

This project explores and documents current and best practices as well as perspectives on and experiences of collaborative internships and applied research initiatives in the field of international cooperation from a Swiss perspective.

Factsheet

Schools involved School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences
Institute(s) HAFL Institut Hugo P. Cecchini
Agriculture
Research unit(s) International Agriculture and Rural Development
Funding organisation Others
Duration (planned) 05.06.2024 - 31.12.2024
Head of project Prof. Dr. Zenebe Uraguchi
Project staff Prof. Dr. Zenebe Uraguchi
Sebastian Mengel
Nancy Bourgeois Luethi
Célia Bühler
Katharina Ineichen
Partner Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries (KFPE)
Keywords Knowledge management;Innovation and co-creation of knowledge;Curriculum development;Capacity building;

Situation

The global landscape of higher education is shifting towards developing not only technical competencies but also intercultural and professional skills. This project delves into these evolving practices, building on BFH-HAFL's over three decades of experience in facilitating collaborative internships and applied research initiatives in the field of international cooperation.

Course of action

The objectives of the project are to investigate the trajectories, contributions and challenges of collaborative internships and applied research initiatives; document and synthesise lessons learned; and prepare students to be technically and methodically competent, solution-oriented, agile and multicultural specialists. Additionally, the project supports calls for decolonising perceptions, behaviours, relationships and knowledge in the international cooperation context between Swiss and partner organisations based abroad. Methodologically, the project draws on individual interviews as well as group stakeholder consultations. It aims to: a) produce essential and practical processes (guidelines) to support student learning spaces (collaborative internships and applied research initiatives); b) develop a compilation of best practices and insights to better prepare future professionals (students) for collaborative internships and applied research initiatives; and c) prepare the ground for knowledge and learning networks to enable and stimulate exchanges.