Abstract:

Higher education’s role in promoting HIV/AIDS prevention and contribution to research in HIV has not been fully explored within the Zambian context. Whereas the nation has adopted a multisectoral approach to scaling-up efforts to halt the spread of HIV, more engagement of higher education learning institutions is needed at certain levels such as capacity building for knowledge generation. The aim of this British Council/Department for International Development (BC/DfID) funded academic link between Nkrumah University College (NUC) in Zambia and York St John University (YSJ) in the United Kingdom seeks to achieve the following: course development, creation of link between teaching and research, student trainee teachers as researchers, community development, knowledge generation and policy influence. This presentation will particularly explore capacity building for research in the area of teacher training education in a developing country context. The paper will discuss development of the international partnership and interactions between the two universities.
The Development Partnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE) project intends to use virtual learning environment (VLE) to support research-based dialogue among academics/students and students/students between the two institutions. The paper looks at the process of adopting research methods modules utilised at undergraduate at YSJ University and making them contextually appropriate for tutors and students at NUC. The local needs are taken into consideration and results show a great need for course development, lack of suitable teaching personnel to handle some of the components of the module, resistance due to perceived connotations of multiplication of work within an undergraduate programme heavily laden with courses and relevance of course development to community development. The conclusion is that based on the identified needs for research methods at NUC, the need to establish and consolidate the link between teaching and research, engagement in the knowledge economy and community development, this DfID funded project intends to contribute to the fight against the HIV pandemic.

Keywords:

Research, Teaching, Capacity Building, Community Development.