Michigan State University

LUANAR and Michigan state university partnership is thru the Global Centre for Food Systems Innovations (GCFSI) the frugal innovation Practicum.

Frugal Innovation Practicum (MSU & LUANAR)

Frugal innovation is drawn from Anil Gupta’s work to the develop technologies, organizational forms, and business models by and for people who generally have minimal access to productive resources. This is a five-week practicum in urban food systems, based at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), and collaboratively conducted by faculty from MSU and LUANAR. In addition, in contrast to the more prevalent top-down models of innovation development, frugal innovation typically proceeds in an inclusive manner ‘from the ground up,’ and is primarily focused on solving constraints of the poor through the organization and application of readily available resources and knowledge...

Global Centre for Food Systems Innovations (GCFSI)

The Global Center for Food Systems Innovation (GCFSI) is a USAID Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) development lab located at Michigan State University (MSU). GCFSI is a consortium led by MSU and includes other institutions such as The Energy and Resources Institute of India (TERI); Wageningen University in The Netherlands; Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, among others. The overall mission of the Center is to seek science, technology and engineering based innovative solutions to challenges to global food systems as impacted by global megatrends such as climate change, population growth, and workforce and skills development to address the challenges of rapid urbanization and resulting pressure on natural resources such as land and water resources. GCFSI aims to support the HESN by building a network of problem thinkers who can propose, develop, implement and monitor solutions that will address the key problems identified along each of the megatrends, with added components of the five cross-cutting themes...

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

LUANAR and Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) in pursuance of the long-term agreement since 14 January 1999 (with several revisions) concerning technical and administrative support in research, outreach, capacity building and other institutional development agreed to cooperate to secure the successful implementation of the Capacity Building for Managing Climate Change in Malawi (CABMACC) in order to strengthen the livelihoods of the people in Malawi.

The agreement achievements include:

  • To conduct joint research especially where NMBU has competence that is relevant for LUANAR depending on the available budget.
  • NMBU to coordinate and host qualified students from Malawi
  • To participate in development of some short course between the two institutions
  • To participate in development of new MSc and PhD programmes

These above mentioned activities to be funded through the CABMACC programme.

United Nations Development Programme

In partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare (MoGCDS), the programme is supporting the development of the gender policy for the university. The project team has produced the first Issues Paper. In this component, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through MoGCDS has contributed USD27,000.00 whilst the programme has contributed USD15,000.00 and the UN Women is providing technical advice to the university.

The key objective of the LUANAR Gender Mainstreaming Project (LUGMAP) is to develop a University policy on gender specifically, the assignment aims to:

  • Analyze and synthesize current reports and documents that are available in Malawi and other countries on gender and related matters
  • Review relevant gender Policies and strategies available in the country, and other parts of the world
  • Explore linkages between LUANAR strategic plan, National Education Sector Plan, National Strategies on gender and draft gender policies for other public universities in Malawi
  • Synthesize and consolidate sector gender thematic chapters relevant for Policy development while taking cross-cutting issues such as HIV and AIDS into consideration in the development of the proposed Policy
  • Understand the current national and international programmes and project activities related to gender and make reference to the United Nations Frameworks on gender
  • Work with a Reference team comprising of subject matter specialists to develop relevant thematic chapters for a LUANAR gender Policy
  • Facilitate consultations with relevant stakeholders

World Vision Malawi

Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources aims to advance knowledge and produce relevant graduates with entrepreneurship skills for agricultural growth, food security, wealth creation and sustainable natural resources management, through teaching, training, research, outreach, consultancy and sound management. To achieve this, a memorandum of understanding was drawn with WVI since both institutions have a common interest in improving the general livelihoods of the less privileged, to collaborate and to complement each other’s efforts by jointly undertaking interventions in the following thematic areas:

Food security and nutrition, market and value chain development, Policy development and analysis, Research and Development, Natural Resources Management, Capacity development, Knowledge generation and Management, Outreach and Project development. Therefore, WVI and LUANAR agreed to do the following:

  • Develop joint research, training and development project proposals for submission to prospective bodies for funding
  • Establish and operationalise the national internship programme on both short and long term basis and subject to availability of resources, the interns shall be jointly supervised by WVI and LUANAR
  • Share their scientists, administrators and technical staff, where appropriate, to accomplish goals of specific projects
  • Jointly seek financial support for collaborative research and development projects of mutual interest.