University of Portsmouth students travel to Kenya for climate resilience workshop

University of Portsmouth students were part of a cohort of international researchers, who gathered in Kenya this month for a five-day workshop.

The Learning and Design Lab brings together UK and Kenyan researchers to address climate resilience challenges faced by industry. It is funded by the British Council and part of the wider UK-Kenya University Partnerships initiative.

Participating universities include KCA University, Rongo University and Strathmore University from Kenya, as well as Nottingham University Business School, the University of Portsmouth, and Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, in the UK.

The Lab, which is facilitated by Circle Innovation, acts as a unique platform where students from participating universities will tackle real-world problems faced by local industry. Through interactive workshops and activities, students and industry leaders will develop skills necessary to co-create collaborative solutions that address such challenges.

Between May 13-17, 10 students from the University of Portsmouth collaborated with their peers in Rongo University in Nairobi. 
 

Dr Gulsah Kutuk, the Principal Investigator from the University’s School of Education, Languages and Linguistics, said: “The immersive experience provided by the partnership offers students the chance to tackle real-world challenges, hone their skills, and gain invaluable practical knowledge before entering the workforce or venturing into entrepreneurship.”

Monica Blagescu, Head of Education at the British Council, Kenya, said: "As we confront the urgent realities of climate change, it is essential that we empower young people to be at the forefront of sustainable solutions. By fostering collaboration between UK and Kenya universities and industry partners, we’ll not only help tackle environmental challenges but also equip young minds with the knowledge and skills to innovate for positive change."

Students worked with a local climate-focused delivery company, Greenspoon. The workshops delved into current challenges faced by such enterprises, and sought human-centred solutions.

Kayleigh Marks, who is studying MSc Crisis and Disaster Management at Portsmouth, attended the workshop. She said: “It was an insightful look into the practical applications that businesses address in the context of climate change and sustainability. We had to consider both the consumer and company interests and test a prototype of the key elements of the loyalty program.”

Grace Kamere, Senior Innovation Designer at Circle Innovation, said: "The students were very adaptable as they continued working on their solution and evidently stepped out of their comfort zones. The diverse perspectives that each of them  brought in the process  provided an opportunity for them to learn and lean on each other for support. They truly outdid themselves!"

Mary Njuguna, Sales and Customer Happiness at Greenspoon, said: “We entrusted them to come up with a solution to our loyalty programme, and it has been amazing the kind of ideas they’ve come up with. It’s so cool to see how innovative these students are. They’ve definitely given us some good solutions, things that we didn’t even think about. I can tell you there are brilliant minds out there!”