SASUF Sustainability Forum 2024

The Forum will start in Lund on Wednesday 15 May and the best way to travel from Malmö to Lund is by train. Trains leave about every 5–10 minutes. Train tickets can be purchased at ticket machines at the train station.

Staff from Malmö University wearing red t-shirts will be available at Malmö C from 11:30 until 13:00 to assist you with purchasing tickets and guide you to Lund University. SASUF staff will be present at Lund C to help guide you to Lund University. 

During this time slot, each participant will register and pick up their name tag at the Student Union Building by the University Square in Lund (Google Maps link) from 12.00 to 13.30 on Wednesday 15 May.

You may leave your belongings at a guarded closet by the registration desk.

For questions please contact:

• Email: Ulla.Bostrom_Hjorth@fsi.lu.se
• Phone: +46 46 222 70 51 or +46 70 372 13 41

Welcome to the SASUF Sustainability Forum 2024!

Doors to Lund University Main Aula opens at 13:30. Please be on time to be seated.

You will receive a warm welcome to Sweden and the Sustainability Forum with a wide assembly of different speakers. See which ones below.

There will also be a group photo, Swedish Fika and a choir concert held by the Ostrochorus Student Choir.

We will end the first day with a joint dinner at the Student Union Building. Please note that this dinner will have assigned seating according to the information you provided about your research interests to facilitate networking.  

Thursday morning at 08:00 a.m. staff from Malmö University will meet the delegates in the lobby of all the recommended hotels and guide the delegates to the pick-up points for the chartered bus to SLU Alnarp. If you are staying at another hotel than the recommended ones, please make sure you are present at the lobby of a recommended hotel at 08:00 a.m. Thursday morning. You can find their addresses below.

The buses are free of charge and are inclusive of the entire delegations, including university management. 

The indicated times for transportation are (sharp) departure times, hence we recommend you to arrive a few minutes before the set time to make sure that you won't miss the departure time. In case you miss the time slot, you can arrange your own transportation.

The guided walk to the pick-up spots will be available and start in the lobbies of the following six recommended hotels:

Story Hotel Studio, Tyfongatan 1, 211 19 Malmö    

Comfort Hotel, Carlsgatan 10 C, 211 20 Malmö 

Moment Hotel, Norra Vallgatan 54, 211 22 Malmö    

ProfilHotel Garden, Baltzarsgatan 20, 211 36 Malmö      

Scandic S:t Jörgen, Stora Nygatan 35, 211 37 Malmö      

Quality Hotel The Mill, Amiralsgatan 19, 211 55 Malmö 


You are welcome to make use of your own transport arrangements for your own cost, if you wish to depart at any other time than when the chartered buses arrive/depart.

9:00 Welcome to SLU, Professor Pär Forslund, Deputy Vice-Chancellor SLU
9:10 This is SLU Campus Alnarp, short movie introduced by Christina Lunner Kolstrup, Dean LTV faculty
9:15 SLU Grogrund - Centre for Breeding of Food Crops, Professor Eva Johansson, Director SLU Grogrund
9:30 Practical information
9:35 Coffee
10:00 Start of workshops

The aim for the workshop is to discuss how we can make vulnerable areas more resilient to changing weather conditions and particularly weather extremes such as floods and droughts. Global warming and increased income gaps often strike harder on the most vulnerable areas, particularly in rural areas, where alternative income generation through natural resources is essential. By adapting life to the everyday challenges that changed weather conditions trigger, events such as forced climate migration, could be mitigated if not prevented by changing households’ calculus, i.e., the decision to move to other areas, often cities, thus worsening urban problems (slum creation, crime, lack of sanitization, family break up). Such adaptations can be new farming techniques, different spatial land use, higher landscape heterogeneity, including e.g., more woody vegetation to prevent and mitigate negative impacts through floods or droughts. Further, stronger building materials in the homesteads and livestock diversification, education, strengthening community/feeling of ubuntu, alternatives to fishing (in coastal areas, where warmer waters force the fish to seek deeper waters; e.g. fish farming etc.), could be promoted. Local involvement is a sustainability factor (culture wise, as well as environmental, human and natural resources, maintenance, actual needs, etc.

The workshop seeks to invite an assemblage of people who are concerned with sustainable livelihoods, preservation and conservation of natural resources, and empowering vulnerable communities to be resilient. Therefore, we would like to develop future collaborations and activities by putting together a team for collection of data in affected areas, e.g. in KwaZulu Natal, and work in an inter-disciplinary and trans-sectoral nature. The ambition of such a project is to co-create and co-produce knowledge for impactful community change for self-reliance and self-determination through community participation. We will share experiences of using a PRA approach or ethnographic fieldwork and plan to apply this in evidence-based decision making and holistic community participation. In the workshop, we will talk about our own research experiences, and invite the audience to an open interdisciplinary discussion around different expertise areas, for everyone to think beyond their scientific disciplines, and how we can work together towards a more sustainable society while co-creating knowledge with communities and ressearchers in a transdisciplinary platform. This, we hope, will culminate in the creation of a community of practice on climate change and sustainable development.

The first hour will be dedicated to an introduction of the research field, followed by our own experiences and focus areas within the field.
The second hour will be allocated to Q&A and an open discussion, where we will prepare some topics and questions to get the discussion started.
Our hope is to hear voices from other fields, and their experiences and ideas for a possible future collaborative project.

Speakers:

Miss Judith Vincent – Social Anthropologist and MA student at Division of Migration, Ethnicity and Society, Linköping University, judith.anthropologist@gmail.com, judvi639@student.liu.se

Miss Nomaswazi Dlamini – Student and Lecturer at the University of Zululand, South Africa (PhD Candidate Politics and International Relations), Swazidlamini03@gmail.com, Dlamininp@unizulu.ac.za,

Prof. Oliver Mtapuri – Full Professor at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (Development Studies), mtapurio@ukzn.ac.za, simbaomtapuri@yahoo.com

PhD Karin Steen - Sustainability Science, Lund University, Sweden, karin.steen@lucsus.lu.se

PhD student Cecilia Hagberg - Animal science and livestock production, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, cecilia.hagberg@slu.se,

PhD student Anna Stubbendorff - Nutritional epidemiology, Lund University, Sweden. anna.stubbendorff@med.lu.se

Prof. Mfundo Mandla Masuku - Associate Professor at the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (Development Studies), masukum@ukzn.ac.za, profmmasuku@gmail.com,

PhD Mahama Tawat – School of Learning and Communication, Master’s Programme in Global Studies: Sustainable Societies and Social Change Jönköping University, Mahama.tawat@ju.se 

Keywords: Climate change, sustainable development, vulnerable areas, indigenous knowledge systems, climate migration

Drastic shifts in climate-weather patterns, with the abundant rainfall and resulting floods have
caused damages all over the world and put many populations in precarious position. Challenges
posed by related crisis have pushed governments, NGOs, and the private sector to increase efforts
to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence to mitigate climate change effects and provide
response to natural disasters. Flood mapping is a critical component of disaster response and
mitigation efforts. Conventional flood mapping techniques often rely on remote sensing data and
satellite imagery, for instance provided by Maxar in a collaboration with LiU, but they may fall short
in accurately capturing the three-dimensional geometry of flooded areas as well as the capacity of
different types of vegetation to bind water. This workshop aim to discuss the feasibility of exploring
the development of deep learning models that leverage advanced geometric estimation techniques
to enhance the spatial accuracy of flood maps as well as to accurately predict the drivability of roads
in the case of floods and the capacity of areas to bind water depending on the classification of
vegetation.

The detailed agenda is as follows:

10.00 - 10.05 Opening
10.05 - 10:35 Amy Loutfi, AI enabled and Semantic Image Recgonition for Flood Analysis and Decision Support
10:35 - 10.40 Questions
10.40 - 11.10 Njoya Ngetar, Remote Sensing and AI for Mitigation of Climate Change Effects: An Environmentalist's Perspective
11.10 - 11.15 Question
11.15 - 11.35 Jules Tapamo, Exploring Deep Representation Geometric Learning for Road Networks Drivability Prediction from Remote Sensing Images
11.35 - 11.55 Michael Felsberg, Explainability, Uncertainty, and Bias in Physics Informed Machine Learning on Remote Sensing Data
11.55 - 12.00 Questions and Closing

It is envisaged that the following activities will be carried out:

Activity 1: AI and mitigation of Climate change effects
Discussion on the state of readiness of Sweden and South Africa to leverage AI technology to mitigate climate change effects and appropriately respond to natural disasters.

Activity 2: Flooding Area Prediction by Geometry Estimation Models
Discuss current machine-learning-based geometry estimation models, such as PointNet and Graph
Convolutional Networks, to extract three-dimensional geometric features from the input data while
exploiting geometric inductive biases.

Activity 3: Estimating Water Binding Capacity of Vegetation from Multi-source Data
Discuss the relevance of multi-source data, including high-resolution satellite imagery, LiDAR data,
and hyper-spectral images, to provide a basis for estimating the water binding capacity of
vegetation.

Activity 4: Road network drivability prediction from Earth Observation Data
Explore avenues to develop deep learning models, incorporating geometric features obtained from
the geometry estimation (activity 2) and satellite-based classification of roads for the prediction of
drivability and accessibility of read networks, e.g. by means of attention mechanisms and
transformers.

Activity 5: Formulation of joint research proposal
Formulate research proposal to investigate the integration of geometry- and vegetation-aware deep
learning models to help improve mitigating the effects of floods, as well as providing more detailed
and reliable information on flooded areas.

This workshop is a follow up, on an initiative that started in in 2017. In fact, Prof Felsberg organised
the 17th International Conference on Computer Analysis of Images and Patterns, 2017, which was
attended by Prof Tapamo. It was an opportunity to know more about research projects in the
Computer Vision Laboratory at LiU, which to a great extend could be very helpful to many disciplines
at UKZN, such as Computer Science, Computer engineering and Environmental Science, were there
are various research interests in computer vision. In 2020, Prof Felsberg was invited at UKZN where
he gave talks on Computer vision. Subsequent to that an MOU was signed between UKZN and LiU
and Prof Felsberg was appointed Honorary Professor at the School of Engineering at UKZN. This
workshop will be used to initiate joint work between the Computer Vision Laboratory at LiU and The
Image Processing, Computer Vision and Data Mining Research at UKZN. We will want the start a
project that will investigate the integration of advanced geometry estimation techniques with deep
learning models to improve the accuracy and detail of flood mapping.

Activity 1: AI and mitigation of Climate change effects (15min)
Activity 2: Flooding Area Prediction by Geometry Estimation Models (30 min)
Activity 3: Estimating Water Binding Capacity of Vegetation from Multi-source Data (30 min)
Activity 4: Road network drivability prediction from Earth Observation Data (30 min)
Activity 5: Formulation of joint research proposal (15 min)

Keywords: Climate Change effects, floods mapping, road network classification,
Computer Vision, Deep Learning

Misuse of water resources within the agricultural sector is of growing concern in both Sweden and
South Africa. Overextraction of groundwater or inappropriate use of wetland resources for
irrigation and livestock farming cause degradations of the local habitats with sometimes
irreversible damage to flora, fauna and soil structure. The long term result of which is declining
freshwater reserves and reduced food productivity.
This workshop will address the importance of water management in agriculture for promoting
long-term food security and self-sufficiency in rural parts of Sweden and South Africa. During the
session, we will discuss the impact of water management and irrigation on the local ecosystems
and environment through the lens of case-studies from both countries. Strategies for increasing
food security and self-sufficiency in the rural parts of Sweden and South Africa will also be
addressed.
The workshop aims to connect stakeholders from a broad arena including farmers, advisors,
researchers, policy makers, and students, with a joint interest for promoting sustainable water management and food security in rural communities.

We will start the session with two or three short presentations to introduce the audience to the
topic of water management, agriculture, and land degradation. The moderators of the workshop
will then invite to a group discussion on the topic presented. After a short break, we will have two
more presenters introduce strategies to promote sustainable water use in agriculture, followed by
a group discussion. The moderators will then summarize and conclude this workshop.

Keywords: Sustainable soil and water management, agriculture, food security, self sufficiency

Defining Sustainability in International Relations

Welcome to the Workshop on Defining Sustainability in International Relations within the South Africa-Sweden University Forum (SASUF). In this session, we aim to delve into the multifaceted concept of sustainability within the context of international relations, exploring its significance, implications, and practical applications for our collaborative network.

Session Objective

Our primary goal is to work towards a shared understanding of sustainability in international relations among the academic communities of South Africa and Sweden within the SASUF network. Through engaging discussions and collaborative activities, we seek to identify common ground, raise pertinent questions, and cultivate actionable strategies for integrating sustainability principles into our collaborative endeavors.

 
Work shop design

The workshop will start with an introductory session providing an overview of the workshop objectives and methodology. Participants will then be divided into smaller and larger groups for interactive group discussions, allowing for diverse perspectives to be shared and explored. Active participation from all attendees is encouraged to ensure a rich exchange of ideas and insights.

 

Discussion Topics

1. Exploring the Concept of Sustainability in International Relations

   - What does sustainability mean in the context of international relations?

   - How do different stakeholders perceive and prioritize sustainability within our academic institutions?

2. Integrating Sustainability into Academic Practices 

   - How can sustainability principles be integrated into teaching, research, and administrative practices?

   - What role do universities play in promoting sustainability and educating students to be change agents?

 

3. The Role of Internationalization in Promoting Sustainability

- What are the key components of internationalization within the SASUF consortium, and how do they intersect with sustainability goals?
- How can internationalization initiatives, such as student mobility, research collaboration, and curriculum development, be leveraged to advance sustainability objectives?

 

4. Challenges to Implementing Sustainable Internationalization Practices 

   - What are the main challenges faced in implementing sustainable internationalization practices?

   - How do factors such as funding constraints, limited research collaboration, and institutional barriers impact the integration of sustainability into internationalization efforts?

   - What strategies can be employed to address these challenges and promote more sustainable internationalization practices within the SASUF network?

 

Wrap up and concluding thoughts

- Can we measure sustainability in international relations?
- If so how can we measure the success and impact of sustainability initiatives in international relations?

In conclusion, this workshop aims to provide a valuable opportunity for participants to engage in critical dialogue, reflection, and collaboration on the topic of sustainability in international relations within the SASUF network. By working together to define common objectives and strategies, we can pave the way for more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable academic partnerships. We look forward to fruitful discussions and meaningful contributions from all participants towards advancing our shared commitment to sustainability. 

Corporate sustainability, and especially inclusive stakeholder engagement, is becoming increasingly important for business success and value-creation. Historically, businesses have prioritised the interests of two stakeholder groups: shareholders and creditors. This often led to a narrow focus on financial results and short-term economic value. To ensure sustainable development in the future, businesses also need to incorporate social and environmental matters in their decision-making processes.
This workshop will report on an online short course on corporate sustainability and stakeholder engagement which we developed and piloted. The short course targeted students, as future business leaders, from two South African and two Swedish universities. The first short course was facilitated in September/October 2023, and an iteration is planned for April 2024. The short course incorporates asynchronous aspects (pre-reading and podcasts) as well as virtual synchronous engagements, which facilitates a thorough understanding of the intricacies surrounding corporate sustainability in both the African and European contexts. Short course participants also had to do group work (with intercultural interaction) and present their work to their cohort, thereby developing soft skills.
In the workshop, we intend not only to inspire participants to develop and implement short courses on corporate sustainability at their universities but also to evaluate options for future collaborations relating to our short course. While our short course primarily targeted students within business administration and accounting, it might be relevant for students of other disciplines such as industrial management, political science, risk- and environmental studies, global media studies, tourism, and culture studies.
The workshop will be structured as follows:

• Introduction to corporate sustainability and stakeholder engagement [15 min]
• Group discussion regarding the importance of corporate sustainability in participants' contexts [20 min]
• A presentation relating to our short course piloted in 2023/2024 [45 min]
• Group discussion about future integration of and collaboration relating to our short course [30 min]
• Conclusion [10 min]

Keywords: Corporate sustainability; stakeholder engagement

Wiegand and Ferri argue that “to successfully solve the complex challenges facing us in the 21st
century, people with expertise in the science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics
(STEAM) fields and other fields are needed, especially for their interdisciplinary way of thinking
and working” (2023, p. 169). In this workshop we will be sharing our experiences of co-presenting
a series of exploratory design/art/craft activities in the surrounds of Malmö in which we aimed to
find a “holistic understanding of the entangled roles of art and wild/natural/outdoor spaces” in
human wellbeing (Walshe et al., 2019, p. 1) and, further, to reflect on challenges and disruptions
brought about by colonization, ecological and landscape shifts and dysfunctional economic
practices (Formafantasma, 2023).
Our workshop is designed to appeal to all African and Scandanavian colleagues with interests in
histories and futures of natural landscapes; the complexity of knowledges (including the re-
mobilising of indigenous knowledges of our respective countries); and in creative curriculum
engagement that can enhance meaningful re-imagining of globalizing influences and relationships,
human-environment relationships, human relationships (affected by race, gender, religion,
cutlrure), and circular economies.
The aim of this workshop (following on the exploratory design/art/craft activities mentioned above) is to spend time sharing and reflecting on these activities especially regarding the
complexity of knowledge; the opportunities they afford for creative re-imagining of multiple
relationships past, presets, futures; and affordances for innovative curriculum engagement.
Our intention is to use the reflections from the workshop to seed a STEAM Education research
project amongst interested participants at the workshop.
References
Formafantasma. (2023, Oltre Terra. Why Wool Matters: Exhibition at Oslo National Museum, 26
May - 1 October, 2023. Retrieved November, 17 2023, from
https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/exhibitions-and-events/national-
museum/exhibitions/2023/oltre-terra.-why-wool-matters/
Walshe, N., Lee, E., Lloyd, D., & Sapsed, R. (2019). STEM to STEAM as an approach to human
development: The potential of arts practices for supporting wellbeing. In L. Colucci-Gray, & P.
Burnard (Eds.), Why Science and Art creativities matter: STEAM (re-)configurings for future-making
education (pp. 337-357). Brill Sense.
Wiegand, S., & Borromeo Ferri, R. (2023). Promoting pre-service teachers’ professionalism in
steam education and education for sustainable development through mathematical modelling
activities. ZDM–Mathematics Education, , 1-14.

In the days prior to the workshop we would have invited colleagues from Swedish, Finnish and
South African universities and local community members to present and participate in a series of
activities each of which demonstrate intricate links across STEAM disciplines and links to a
sustainability opportunities and/or challenges. For example:
 Photography/ecological systems – to illustrate entanglements, disruptions and
enhancement in ecological relationships
 Natural dyeing/chemistry – to reflect on human relationships with colour, chemicals and
creativity.
 Fibre art/design – to reflect on human relationhips with clothing (protection, expression,
pretense, ….)
 Bio-mimicry/technology – to reflect on human mind as ‘borrower’ and inventor
 Geometry/fractals/patterns in nature – to reflect on multiple ways of crafting knowledge
and developing a sense of wonder in ecology and mathematics alike.
 harvesting/cooking – to reflect on food, health and aesthetics.
Some of these activities will be conducted at Malmö University on day 1 of the “satellite
programme” and others on day 2 with students from the Natural Sciences, Technology and
Learning course which is part of the Malmö University Primary School teachers in training degree.
These activities will be recorded 1 (photographs and video), and shown at this workshop (PART 1)
to stimulate dialogue (PART 2) amongst workshop participants.
Questions stimulating dialogue will include:
 What knowledges were integral to the activities (whose knowledge, from where, from
when)
 How did these knowledges bring about opportunities for thinking differently about
globalizing influences and relationships, human-environment relationships, human-human
relationships, economies, etc?
 How did these knowledges encourage thinking about past/present/future?
How can similar activites be used to stimulate innovative curriculum and pedagogic
practices?
Emerging discussions will be used to frame a research project amongst interested parties with the
ultimate goal of a co-edited book exploring different STEAM education practices in our respective
countries.

Keywords: STEAM Education, Environment and Sustainaiblity Education, Innovative
teaching and learning, transformative learning.

*

The presenters include academics from South Africa and Sweden with diverse
experiences in internationalization. Mbali Mkize is the Senior Director of Marketing
and Communications at Mongosuthu University of Technology and together with
her colleague Sishi Zama they have researched in the area of Higher Education
studies, with an interest in international student mobility (ISM). Hilde Ibsen and
Penelope Engel-Hills are the Swedish and South African PIs and both have
experience of internationalization through research and being supervisors of
international students while on placements abroad. For the team their interest in
internationalization is because ISM is a gateway for universities across the globe to
diversify their student body, enhance multiculturalism and intercultural
communication, increase third stream income, and contribute economically and
socially to the communities around the universities. Many towns and cities have
been transformed to become more cosmopolitan because of the presence of
international students.
Within a university, internationalisation adds value to transformation in many ways
as the international students bring new skills such as on entrepreneurship and they
enhance the social constructivist agenda to facilitate learning and teaching.
Unfortunately, in 2020, the Covid-19 global pandemic, disrupted ISM across the
globe and this resulted in universities shifting their education to online. Scores of
international students in South Africa and Sweden had to return to their home
countries. International student numbers dropped at universtities across the globe.
In South Africa international students reduced from 5.93% to 3.09% of the total
student populations at the end of 2020. Students were faced with many challenges
such as having to rapidly transition from being an international student in a foreign
country to being a student in their country of origin. Some were faced with
challenges such as poor access to digital resources, different time zones for class
attendance, to name but a few. For those that remained, they were also faced with
challenges ranging from visa issues, financial hardship and even mental illness.
For African students in foreign countries many also they faced unemployment,
racism and xenophobia.
Because of these challenges, there is now a greater urgency for universities to
future-proof their internationalisation agenda as part of social transformation and to
guard the well-being of students who emabark on international programmes. International Student Mobility (ISM) has become an aspiration of the majority of students
across the globe. Despite its meteoric rise in the years before 2020, it was disrupted
beyond expectations during Covid-19 when universities had to shut down or move online
to flatten the pandemic curve. The disruption of ISM came with certain threats to
universities such as a decline in international student numbers, reduced income from
international students and various forms of academic difficulties and social exclusion
challenges for international students who were unable or chose not to travel home.
Universities need to reclaim International Student Mobility (ISM). Considering that ISM
adds to knowledge building and transformation, this workshop will present possible for
strategies and explore options for adaptations to allow for exposing not just a few
students to internationalisation but to ensure that every university student benefits
through internationalisation in some way.
The possible strategies are:
a. Internationalisation at Home
b. Collaborative Online International Learning
c. Future-proofing ISM through policy development
d. Building an agile internationalisation agenda
e. Building digital-savvy student body through policy and praxis

Internationalisation at Home (IaH)
Born in Malmö Universitry in 1998, IaH has become a global phenomenon on how
universities can augment an internationalisation agenda by implementing
internationalisation across entire campuses without investing heavily on financial
resources. The workshop will allow discussion on best practice and experiences of IaH as a
way of how universities could keep the internationalisation agenda going even when
there are global disruptions. Best practices will include an impact of IaH during Covid-19
and how this should become a part of an internationalisation framework at universities.

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
COIL programmes proved during Covid-19 that they could stand the firm even when there was a major global disruption. The workshop will show how COIL programmes resulted in
the sustainability of internationalisation at universities and how these could be further
expanded and adapted to suit the post-Covid-19 environment.

Future-proofing ISM through policy development
The workshop will look at the best practices adopted by universities to ensure that when
there are disruptions, the universities have systems and policies pertinent to issues that
created tensions for international students such as:
a. Integrated policy on immigration
b. Guiding framework on social inclusion for international students when there are
threats to ISM. Such a framework should include how universities could tackle
short-to-medium term relief on tuition fees, healthcare, and housing. Some
universities have started looking at additional levies for eventualities of this
nature.
c. Constant monitoring and evaluation of support services offered to international
students with a Net Promoter Score conducted at each exit point by international
students followed by an implementation plan. Had these existed, some of the
challenges faced at the time of Covid-19 would of the dire circumstances for
international students would have been avoided.
The emphasis will be on building an agile internationalisation agenda that draws from
some of the lessons learned during Covid-19.

Session 1: 30 minutes
Introduction to ISM of the future and how we can enhance IaH, COIL, Online learning to support
ongoing internatioanlisation.
Session 2: 30 minutes
Reflections on student experiences to provide insights on optimizing the future of ISM for all our
students
Session 3: Implementation plan for the future (1 hour)
Discussion and development of key ideas for and elements of an implementation plan for ISM
going forward.

Keywords: International Student Mobility, Internationalisation at Home, Collaborative Online International Learning, Synchonous and Asynchronous Learning, Digital inclusion

Introduction: Socioeconomic factors exert a significant influence on children’s academic progress, learning and participation in school activities. Communities with low socioeconomic status are often associated with low- and middle-income countries (e.g., South Africa), but these are rising in high-income countries (e.g., Sweden), affecting the future of children and societies. In South Africa, research has shown that a socioeconomically disadvantaged context negatively affects children’s health and ability to focus on academic tasks, leading to a greater risk of school absence, and poor academic performance that are likely to impact their life prospects. Similarly, Swedish national educational results indicate that a higher socio-economic background promotes children’s satisfaction with their participation in school and higher social and psychological well-being than their less socio-economically advantaged peers. Most health promotion projects tend to focus on children, parents, teachers or other professionals as unrelated groups. There is a lack of collaborative projects in the school context that develop knowledge about a more integrated and sustainable approach.
Aim/purpose: This workshop aims to present the results of the first activities of an ongoing interdisciplinary project funded by SASUF. This project aims to create partnerships to address challenges affecting children’s learning and participation in schools located in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in Sweden and South Africa. The partners in this project so far are occupational therapists and educators working with future occupational thereapists and teachers in universities in Cape Town in South Africa, and Stockholm and Uppsala in Sweden.
Plan for developing future collaboration: The overall goal of the project is to develop new partnerships and networks for capacity building to design new strategies to support children’s learning and participation in schools located in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. This interdisciplinary approach has the potential to yield insights relevant to diverse projects. The workshop will be used as an opportunity to present the first activities conducted by partners of this project and formulate, together with attendants, contextually relevant research questions that should be addressed in this project based on participants previous experiences and the challenges found in a rapid appraisal of literature in the field (e.g., what models have been used to support collaboration among professionals in mainstream schools to support children’s learning and participation). All the insights gathered in the workshop will be disseminated to the participants and if there is interest then there will be an option to form a list of contacts that could be transformed into a network of participants with relevant knowledge and skills to advance the project. As such, the workshop will facilitate knowledge exchange and opportunities for the
attendants to keep communicating with each other and follow the project’s next steps or nurture ideas for projects that can emerge.
Structure of the workshop (120 minutes)
- Brief introduction of the workshop, the project, and the partners previous experiences in the field (25 min)
- Introduction of attendants (depending on the number of attendents this can be made in a circle or just introducing themselves to the 2 persons sitting closest to them) (15 min)
- Presentation of the results of the rapid appraisal of the literature reviewed in the field (e.g., what models have been used to support collaboration among professionals in mainstream schools to support children’s learning and participation) (20 min)
- Discussion in small groups with questions proposed by the presenters (30 min). The questions will focus on facilitating discussion about potential knowledge gaps, research question, innovative methods, and next steps of the project and possible further inter-disciplinary research (i.e., what needs to be done/addressed? how co-operation in a future network could be realized?)
- Small groups present the main point of their discussion to the main group (20 min)
- Summary of the main points raised in the discussion (10 min)
Keywords: School settings, partnerships, socioeconomically disadvantaged areas,
teachers, occupational therapists

HYBRID workshop. Join on Zoom: https://gu-se.zoom.us/my/kellecioglu Passcode: 0342

The European Parliament adopted a directive on ""Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence"" on 1 June 2023. The intention is to produce a binding legislation that force EU-based corporations to fulfil human rights and environmental sustainability around the world. This process coincides with the ongoing United Nations initiative “Legally binding instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises”. In addition, the OECD has, in 2023, updated it's ""Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct"". There are also new accountability initiatives for TNCs at the country level, notably in Germany, Norway, France. These policy processes are relevant to researchers in Sweden and South Africa as the civil society and many policy-makers in both countries have welcomed these initiatives. After all, transnational corporations (TNCs) are responsible for the majority of human rights violations and environmental degradations around the world. It is, therefore, expected to be valuable to explore the operations of Swedish (and possibly other EU) TNCs in South Africa. They would be scrutinised, but also have better incentives to showcase positive examples of accountability. For instance, in Sweden, a major court case is taking place at the time of writing against the operations of Lundin Oil in South Sudan. The purpose with the workshop is to connect researchers who are interested in this area, and develop long-lasting research collaborations, while deliberating upon how the topic could be researched upon, in light of the policy initiatives at the EU, UN, OECD and at national levels. In particular, we would like to focus on the impact of TNC operations to public health; as an example of one of many arenas of social transformation. After all, TNC operations are important matters for sustainable development. They impact the social and environmental conditions everywhere, but also the distribution of power between citizens, political representatives, and corporate leaders. This envisioned research project is expected to provide insights to civil society, the aid community, and policy makers, in both countries, on the role of TNCs in social transformations. In particular, to specifically connect certain kinds of TNC business practices to certain kinds of socio-economic outcomes, such as public health. In fact, if we are able showcase how TNC operations could be improved in supporting human progress and environmental sustainability, we would be in a much better position to achieve the SDGs.
Furthermore, given that both research work and policy are quite limited in this important area, there are important knowledge gaps to fill. This is particularly important given the complexities in holding TNCs accountable with regards to people and the planet. It could even be in the interests of TNCs to be held accountable, so to race to top of operational standards, rather than to the bottom. After all, there are a significant number of corporate executives requesting higher standards and accountability structures regarding business conduct. If major TNCs were increasingly ensuring descent work and environmental sustainability, a lot of progress could be achieved. This is particularly crucial when it comes to women and girls in South Africa, as they are often subjected to terrible working conditions and very low pay.

We intend to build upon our experiences as teachers and researcher. In the case of Deniz, build upon his lectures, seminars and panel moderator (at the Human Rights Days in 24 November 2023) on this topic to lead the deliberations of the workshop. In the case of Carmen, connect aspects of public health in South Africa to the operations of TNCs. In particular, we envision the following sequence, but the idea is to go from the general to the specifics, to end up with concrete plans and exchange of contact information. First, we deliver an introduction to the topics at hand and the purpose of the workshop (15 minutes), and thereafter open up for questions, reflections, and insights (15 minutes). Thereafter, we deliver an a brief review of the available literature on the topic; ranging from scholarly books, journal articles, civil society reports, United Nations material, court cases, to parliamentary documentation. We will follow this up with specific focus on research material from Sweden, and South Africa, but ask for additional insights and guidance (15 minutes). This ought to be followed by an interaction that provides further insights, ideas, and guidance on research material (30 minutes). It is our hope to tackle the following questions. • How do we as researchers manage these new initiatives and legislations? • What are the implications of intersectional perspectives? Gender, Class, Ethnicity, etc? • What are the dynamics when it comes to power between TNCs, States, Civil Society, and affected populations? • Is it worthwhile to focus on specific sectors? Mining, Industry, ICT, etc?

Thereafter, we will deliver an overview of possible research methods on the topic (10 minutes) and ask for further insights, ideas, and guidance (20 minutes). The workshop would be wrapped-up through a summary of the deliberations, followed by an exchange of ideas for a concrete research network; that include the question on how to include other possibly interested researchers and stakeholders. In this discussion, we would also prioritize brainstorming around possible avenues for research funding (15 minutes)

Keywords: European Union, Transnational corporations, Public Health, Planet, Power

Social innovation in health can be defined as co-creational and novel approaches to address challenges of health care access or public health problems. Social innovations are intrinsically bottom-up, engaging communities and derived from user perspectives. There is a strong element of entrepreneurship and intersectionality in the development and set-up of social innovations, adapting what works in a specific context. To reach larger impact, social innovations need to be scaled-up, which demands adaptation to diverse contexts. This contextualization is many times in itself an innovative process, requiring flexibility without compromising the fidelity of the intervention.

The Philani Mentor Mother model is a social innovation developed in South Africa. It builds on a community health worker (CHW) model, with additions addressing the common shortcomings of generic CHW programs. This includes careful recruitment, trust and relationship building, appropriate training and supervision, a high level of accountability and a stong community presence as some of the key features of the intervention. The Philani model has since 2021 been introduced in disadvantaged areas of Malmö and Gothenburg in Sweden. The adaptation process has been documented and researched, revealing the suitability and functionality of this social innovation despite great contextual differences between South Africa and Sweden.

This workshop will explore the challenges and possibilities of transferring and scaling-up social innovations across diverse settings. This is essential in order to meet the SDG 3 of universal health coverage. Utilizing the example of the Philani model we will host an interactive panel discussion on this theme. Expected outcomes are shared learning, insights and practical guidance on how to work in the field of social innovation for health to increase impact and achieve societal transformation.

The workshop will be hosted by The Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (https://gsbberthacentre.uct.ac.za), a specialized unit for social entrepreneurship and innovation, situated at the University of Cape Town’s Gradute School of Business, and SWEDESD (www.swedesd.uu.se), a centre at Uppsala University focusing on implementation and transformation within global health. Both BERTHA and SWEDESD are part of the global Social Innovation In Health (SIHI) network, a collaboration between WHO/TDR and universities involved in social innovation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. This joint workshop will serve as an opportunity to strengthen connection and collaboration between UU and UCT within the frame of this global network and beyond.

The planned workshop:
Introduction to social innovation (10 min)
Presentation of the SIHI network, BERTHA centre (UCT) and SWEDESD (UU) (15 min)
Presentation of the Philani model, a social innovation from South Africa implemented in Sweden (20 min)
Short break to rearrange and stretch (10 min)
Interactive panel discussion on the transfer, contextualization and scale-up of social innovations for societal transformation (50 min)
Concluding reflections and wrap-up (15 min)

Keywords: Social innovation, Scale-up, Contextualization, Universal Health Coverage

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The goal of this workshop is to draw on the foundations of science communication to equip participants with the skills to help them effectively transfer knowledge, across cultural divides. This can enable more productive research collaboration, since researchers from South Africa and Sweden have a lot to learn from each other when it comes to achieving and managing sustainability in a wide array of applications. The workshop may enable research collaborations between these two countries, equipping and empowering other researchers to effectively transfer knowledge for public engagement and, ultimately, social transformation. The workshop will consist of 2 parts.

The first part (about 50 minutes) will focus on providing participants with theoretical and practical tools. It will cover, amongst other aspects, a brief history of public science communication and its ideas, and motivations for its importance to researchers. Next, this session will introduce innovative ways of knowledge transfer, based on lessons from science communication, emphasising three key aspects – storytelling, responsive dialogues, and data visualisation. 

The second part (about 45 minutes) will consist of an interactive group exercise in which participants will use one of the three key approaches (storytelling, responsive dialogues, and data visualisation) to structure communication aimed at fostering research collaboration in a fictional scenario.
 
What do delegates need?
Own laptops, with MS Word or other word processing application.


Keywords: research communication; knowledge transfer; responsive dialogues; public engagement; knowledge for public impact.

Introduction
Lean implementations should be grounded in two pillars: “Continuous improvement” and
“Respect for people” (RFP). However, it seems that the human factor is often missing. The
challenge for leaders is to comprehend what RFP truly means within their cultural contexts.
Research on RFP has been done in both South-Africa and Sweden. The aim of this project is to combine the research and develop a cultural-sensitive RFP framework that can be used by other countries as well.

At this stage of our project, we seek to define and clarify each of the 9 blocks of the RFP theme in the people value stream using the Self-determination Theory and/or other relevant psychological/motivational theories . The new framework will act as a basis for the next stage of the project aimed at interviewing individuals from organisations based in Sweden and South Africa, to assess the cultural nuances that needs to be included in the framework. Ultimately, we aim to create a self-evaluation questionnaire for organizations implementing lean to assess current state in comparison with the desire future state according to the RFP lean implementation model. Relevance to the Swedish and South African context
Developing such a framework will assist countries with more successful lean implementation.

Aim of the workshop
The aim of the workshop will be to present our progress on the project and obtain feedback from the audience in terms of the proposed model.

Future collaborations and activities beyond the Forum
The data from the workshop could support the first publication. Moreover, it provides a networking opportunity for researchers, beyond the presenters, to collaborate on future projects

The outcome of the workshop will also be used for future funding applications and exploring student exchange programs

Welcoming
10 min - Introduction of the research team and aim of the workshop

Presentations:
45 min – Progress on the research project

Discussion
45min – Interactive discussion session on the proposed model.

Closing
15 min – Combining feedback
10 min – Discussion on future research

Keywords: Lean, Respect for People, Self-determination theory, Change management, Culture

The scars left by the industrial age on the urban surface are amongst the most challenging sites for architects today. Literally every city grapples with an often-toxic industrial legacy, intrinsic to its specific structural conditions. This workshop will be a post-extractive urban development comparison between two of the largest mining cities of the world, Kiruna and Johannesburg.

Built on the world’s largest gold deposit, Johannesburg was established in 1886 and grew from a gold mining camp into a sprawling city-region of 16.1 million inhabitants. It is the only city of its kind in the world not built on a major river or seashore, but on a vein of gold. Johannesburg’s mining legacies have forged a racially and economically divided landscape, where mismanaged mining waste areas leach toxins into the environment, and nearby residents bear the costs. Many studies have investigated ways to remediate Johannesburg’s scarred landscapes, but few have been able to overcome the scale of the task.

In Sweden, the histories of the Kiruna mine and the city of Kiruna are closely linked, with the settlement dating back to the 1890s and the construction of seven homes to house workers who would extract iron from the Kiruna deposit, the world’s largest. By the end of 2018, around 10% of the town’s population were employed by LKAB (swedish state-owned miner Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag), with local people providing the backbone of a workforce that has grown from 3,482 people in 2004 to 4,624 by 2018, solidifying the relationship between townspeople and their mine. Local officials have planned a number of relocation activities ahead of 2035, when the move is set to be completed. Some of the more dramatic moves the planned disassembly andreconstruction of the gothic Kiruna Church, a building constructed entirely of wood that will be moved in 2026.

Interstitial, inbetween places, void of attribution, pose interesting challenges to the conventional ways hegemonic architecture and planning discourse conceptualise space. The goal of this workshop will be to dig into the hidden layers of meanings and narratives, expressed through the mine waste areas’ historical, physical, toxicological and ecological constitution complemented by findings in field research. Both urban areas, forged by resource extraction, are places of desire and opportunity. They support opportunities at both ends of the economic scale. These case studies, continents apart, offer a meaniningful and multually productive opportunity for interpreting and studying change in these urban landscapes. With an emphasis on historical change, and an engagement with affected residents, this workshop will provoke new ways of reading these places, while navigating divergent stakeholder interests.

Intending to curate a dynamic workshop experience, we will focus on radio broadcast format, creating a session where two researchers engage in a compelling discussion. We aspire to ensure clear objectives, interactive content, and seamless streaming through a reliable platform. Our goal is to create an inclusive environment by encouraging participant engagement through a user-friendly chat interface. Moderation will be implemented for smooth Q&A, and proactive promotion across channels will be a priority. The radio event will be a recorded session for accessibility, gather valuable feedback, and foster follow-up interactions, ultimately delivering an informative workshop to a diverse audience.

This workshop lays the foundation for potential future collaborations among the 2 researchers and relatives departments, fostering a shared commitment to unraveling urban complexities and driving innovative solutions for sustainable development in Arctic and Antarctic.

Distribution of Activities:
• Begin with an engaging introduction to set the tone and establish the workshop's context (15 minutes).
• Dive into the contextualization of urban scars in Kiruna and Johannesburg, emphasizing the historical background (30 minutes).
• Allocate dedicated time to explore the unique challenges faced by Kiruna and Johannesburg, emphasizing the socio-economic dynamics (30 minutes).
• Reserve a block of time for the interactive radio broadcast format, promoting engaging discussions and live Q&A (30 minutes).
• Conclude with a reflection on key insights, ensuring a smooth transition to future engagements (15 minutes).

Detailed distribution of the Radio broadcast Workshop:
1. Introduction (15 minutes):
• Overview of the workshop's theme and objectives.
• Brief introduction to Kiruna and Johannesburg as case studies.
• Explanation of the radio broadcast format and its potential for dynamic discussions.

2. Contextualizing Urban Scars (30 minutes):
• Presentation on the industrial legacies of Johannesburg, focusing on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of gold mining.
• Exploration of Kiruna's history, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between the town and its iron mine.
• Discussion on the challenges posed by extractive industries in shaping urban landscapes.

3. The Kiruna Challenge (15 minutes):
• In-depth look at the unique challenges faced by Kiruna, including the planned disassembly and reconstruction of the Kiruna Church.
• Examination of the socio-economic dynamics between the mining company (LKAB) and the local population.
• Highlighting the planned relocations and their implications for the town's future.

4. Johannesburg's Dilemma (15 minutes):
• Exploration of the racially and economically divided landscape in Johannesburg resulting from mismanaged mining waste.
• Overview of existing studies on remediation efforts and the scale of the task at hand.
• Consideration of the socio-environmental costs borne by nearby residents.

5. Unveiling Narratives through Field Research (20 minutes):
• Discussion on the methodologies employed in field research to uncover hidden narratives.
• Presentation of findings related to historical, physical, toxicological, and ecological aspects of mine waste areas.
• Reflection on the interstitial spaces and their challenges to conventional architectural and planning discourse.

6. Interactive Radio Broadcast (30 minutes):
• Engaging discussion between two researchers, exploring the nuances of the presented narratives.
• Integration of live Q&A from workshop participants through a user-friendly chat interface.
• Proactive moderation to navigate divergent stakeholder interests and encourage audience participation.

7. Closing and Reflection (15 minutes):
• Summary of key insights and takeaways from the workshop.
• Announcement of opportunities for follow-up engagement and further exploration.
• Acknowledgment of the recorded session for accessibility and future reference.

Keywords: Extractivism, urbanization, radio broadcast, public engagement, resources

Sustainble tourism development has been an imperative for global tourism the last 20 years.
However, the recent challenges in the tourism sector, including COVID-19, natural disasters,
financial instability, and political turmoil, has challenged the development and shifted focus to
other areas. For instance, resilience has become a crucial concept in the tourism field. The idea of
resilience originated from Holling's study of ecological systems, which investigated the ability of
natural systems to withstand disturbances caused by either natural or human factors.
In a tourism context, resilience describes the adaptive capacity of destinations to recover from
stressors, disturbances, or disasters of organizations and societies. There are, however, clear
connections between sustainability and resilience as both concepts deal with change.
Sustainability commonly deals with change based on conservation, while resilience deals with
change based on adaptation and transformation. In this workshop, resilience is addressed on
several different levels in the tourism system.
Inclusive tourism has emerged as an important issue to address issues of sustainability and
resilience. To enhance inclusive tourism marginalised groups needs to be included both as
producers of tourism products for others to experience as well as the possibility to be a tourist
themselves. However, to be inclusive entails a broad range of perspectives that need to be
addressed to incorporate different groups for sustainable tourism development. Resilience and inclusive perspectives are important to address in order to work towards some of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for instance: Goal 10, Reduced inequality; Goal 12,
Sustainable Cities and Communities; and 13, Responsible Production and Consumption.
The aim of this workshop is to present and discuss key challenges for sustainble tourism
development and identify avenues to go forward by drawing from current research and practice
from both the global south and north.
To advance knowledge about complex societal issues, such as sustainable tourism development, it
is important to apply an interdisciplinary approach that focus on the problem. The knowledge
(disciplines) relevant to the problem is more flexibly applied. Hence, this workshop welcomes
participants from different disciplinary backgrounds in order to find new forms of collaborations to
address sustainable tourism development.

The workshop wil be organised in the following way:
Part 1 (45 minutes)
• Welcome to this workshop, Maria Månsson, Lund University
Presents the aims of the workshop
• Speakers to present work in the field:
- Nicola Wakelin-Theron, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
- Maria Månsson, Lund University, Sweden
- Danie Marais, National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), South
Africa (on-line participation)

15 minutes break
Part 2 (60 minutes)
• Group discussions based on a world café model with the following questions (40 minutes):
- What is sustainable tourism from your perspective?
- What are the obstacles in developing inclusive tourism in your local context?
- What stakeholders do you consider relevant to work with to develop resilient and
inclusive tourism? And why?
- What issues are important to address with the stakeholders to develop sustainable
tourism?
• Summing up and planning for future collaborations and activities beyond the SASUF
Forum (20 minutes)

Keywords:Tourism, sustainability, resilience, inclusiveness, communication

Globally, we are faced with unprecedented technological advancements coinciding with escalating environmental concerns. The workshop endeavours to examine the implications of digital technologies on preserving biodiversity. This workshop seeks to critically assess digital transformation's relevance within Swedish and South African contexts and delineate a joint path forward.

Sweden, distinguished for its proclivity towards sustainability and pioneering technological innovations, is leading in driving digital transformation in wildlife conservation. Swedish expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and remote sensing technologies aligns seamlessly with the overarching global endeavour to safeguard biodiversity. This workshop offers a forum for Swedish stakeholders to showcase their innovations and contribute substantially to the global dialogue on wildlife conservation.

South Africa, characterised by its rich biodiversities and iconic species such as rhinoceros and African elephants, confronts substantial conservation challenges, including poaching and habitat degradation. Acknowledging South Africa's pivotal role in global wildlife preservation, this workshop endeavours to facilitate collaboration with local experts, organisations, and communities. It delves into how digital tools and strategies can be contextualised to address these challenges effectively.

This scholarly workshop aims to foster an exchange of ideas, knowledge, and best practices situated at the nexus of digital innovation and wildlife conservation. Our purpose is multifold:
Catalyze Collaborative Endeavors by convening stakeholders from Sweden and South Africa. We hope to stimulate cross-border partnerships and collaborations that harness digital technology for wildlife protection.
Knowledge Dissemination enables experts to disseminate experiences, success narratives, and challenges in integrating digital tools and data-driven methodologies in wildlife conservation.
Public Engagement Strategies by recognising the pivotal role of the public, the workshop will explore strategies to employ digital platforms for raising awareness and engaging active participation in conservation initiatives.

Beyond the workshop, we envision sustained efforts in Sweden, South Africa, and globally, including Kenya. To facilitate this, we propose the following initiatives:
Initiation of Collaborative Research Projects: The workshop shall serve as a launchpad for collaborative research endeavours, conservation projects, and technological development initiatives that involve Swedish and South African stakeholders.
Creation of an Online Resource Repository: We shall establish an online repository to disseminate workshop materials, research findings, and case studies, thereby ensuring that knowledge and insights continue to enrich the global conservation scholarly community.
Institution of an Annual Symposium: Building upon the successes of this workshop, we intend an annual symposium. This will provide a recurring platform for stakeholders to congregate and advance the discourse on digital transformation in wildlife conservation. Capacity Enhancement Initiatives: We will explore training programs to augment the skills and capacities of conservationists and technology experts, thereby nurturing a sustainable ecosystem for digital innovation in wildlife preservation.

Session 1: Introduction and Context Setting (15 minutes)
Session 2: Relevance of Digital Transformation in Swedish and South African Contexts (30 minutes)
Session 3: Exploring Digital Tools and Innovations (30 minutes)
Session 4: Public Engagement and Capacity Enhancement (20 minutes)
Session 5: Future Collaborations and Activities (15 minutes)
Session 6: Closing Remarks and Call to Action (10 minutes)

Keywords: Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Wildlife

Lunch will be served while researchers present their posters with research ideas. You will get a chance to explore pitches for possible projects and start a new international collaboration!

Check out the research ideas on the SASUF website: Explore Collaboration Ideas

The presenters may take their poster home at the end of this day before the bus departure.

Our workshop is centred around the activities of our SASUF-NRF funded Seed Grant project entitled:  Fresh and Marine Water Management for Food Security and Water Democracy in the context of Climate Change and Regional Policy in South Africa and Sweden. Our research activities include interaction and dialogues with farmers, water institutions and local communities in the two countries. The main objectives of our workshop are to advance deeper comparative understanding of the challenges arising from the links between local water security and sustainable coastal management in the context of climate change and regional policies for climate adaptation in Sweden and South Africa.

Based on our previous work funded by SASUF, we expect to address the following questions in the proposed workshop: 1) How can actors with conflicting interests in water management cooperate in finding ways for better local water policy governance and food security in regional areas of Sweden and South Africa? 2) How is the management of fresh and marine water incorporated into regional policies in Sweden and South Africa? 3) What are the water policy problems contributing to climate change maladaptation in rural territories of South Africa and Sweden? 4) How can existing local approaches and actions for water democracy and food security enable the achievement of the SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG 6 (Water)? In the workshop we want to share some of the results of our field work that relate to this project, including activities that we will carry out in Uppsala before the Sustainability Forum. We also want to seek collaboration with other partners working in the same research areas. We aim to build capacity in this area by involving students in the research and our field activities. Beyond the Sustainability Forum we plan to host our Swedish colleagues in South Africa, together with our partners, and we will have conversations with farmers and communities.

The four principal investigators in the project will share their field research experiences for about 10-15 minutes each. Then we will open the last hour for discussion/dialogue on the following questions:
What are your experiences on the challenges faced by local communities in participating in water policy governance and contributing to ensuring food security? How can existing local approaches and actions for water democracy and food security enable the achievement of the SDG13 (Climate Action) and SDG 6 (Water)?

We will facilitate the workshop and synthesise the discussion by using participatory methods to engage other researchers in collectively addressing the questions above.

Keywords: Fresh Water, Marine Water, Food Security, Climate Change, Water Security

Material science is one of the locomotors of sustainable development. Discovery of new materials often leads to technological breakthroughs and helps to improve the efficiency, cost, and environmental impact of various devices. Just several examples of the topics that are investigated by many researchers around the world, including South Africa and Sweden, are development of novel energy conversion and storage technologies (e.g. high-performance permanent magnets that are an important ingredient of electric motors and windmill generators, battery materials), spintronics and many more. During the workshop, research in material sciences for changing energy systems in contexts of climate and energy emergencies, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution crises will be shared and discussed.

Speakers and Abstracts:

• Martin Ek Rosén

NanoLund: Centre for Nanoscience, Sweden

Title: Materials for sustainability at NanoLund

Abstract: NanoLund is the centre for research, education and innovation within nanoscience at Lund University. NanoLund engages researchers within the faculties of engineering, science and medicine, supporting interdisciplinary research and shared infrastructures for synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials. I will present an overview of ongoing projects connected to sustainability, ranging from efficient nanowire-based photovoltaics and light-emitting diods, low-power computing for AI applications, and photocatalysis. Finally, I will highlight one of my own projects within NanoLund (together with collaborators at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences), where I have studied the resilience of coatings for metal cutting tools with an aim to increase longevity and facilitiating circularity.

• Yngve Cerenius

the Deputy Director of MAX IV laboratory, Sweden

MAX IV Laboratory is a Swedish national synchrotron laboratory that has operated as a user facility since 2016. It is the successor to MAX-lab, which was in operation between 1987 and 2015. MAX IV offers access to 16 beamlines that provide modern X-ray spectroscopy, scattering/diffraction, and imaging techniques to contribute to solving scientific questions in a wide range of areas.

• Mawethu P. Bilibana

Department of Chemistry, North-West University, South Africa.

Title: X-ray diffraction profile analysis of green synthesized ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract: The study involves the synthesis of ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles using plant-extract-mediated hydrothermal synthesis. The obtained nanoparticles were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to confirm their crystalline nature and phase characteristics. Further analysis was conducted using XRD profile models such as Williamson-Hall analysis, size-strain plot, and Rietveld analysis to evaluate their microstructural parameters. The results showed that the calculated particle size using all the models was consistent, with values ranging from 55.46-87.6 nm for ZnO and 33.82-41.9 nm for TiO2. The microstrain varied based on the model, while the stress in the nanoparticles was evaluated at 3.8 and 13.7 MPa for ZnO and TiO2, respectively. TiO2 nanoparticles had a higher energy density of 8.96 × 10-8 KJ/m3 compared to 7.12 × 10-8 KJ/m3 obtained for ZnO.

• Kayode Adesina ADEGOKE

Department of Industrial Chemistry, First Technical University, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Title: Promotional effects of iron oxide-carbon black on palladium nanoparticles toward ethylene glycol electrooxidation in alkaline medium.

Abstract: The continued utilization of non-renewable fossil fuels in energy generation for electricity production poses significant risks to both environment and human health.  Currently, direct alcohol fuel cells are considered the most future's advanced energy sources due to their exceptional power density. Palladium (Pd) electrocatalysts have great potential for improving alcohol oxidation in alkaline environments, but their use and commercialization are hindered by their high cost and vulnerability to CO poisoning. To combat these associated challenges, our study has shown that it is imperative to enhance the efficacy of Pd electrocatalysts by the implementation of a dual supporting system. The synthesis of Pd nanoparticles supported on iron oxide-carbon black material (Pd/Fe2O3-CB) was achieved by the utilization of a cost-effective microwave-assisted polyol technique. The as-synthesized electrocatalysts were subjected to physiochemical characterization and electrochemical properties toward ethylene glycol electrooxidation reaction. The Pd/Fe2O3-CB composite exhibited an enhanced kinetics, evidencing by a higher current density of 59 mA/cm2, as well as improved stability and durability compared to its pristine counterpart. These improvements can be attributed to the integration of Fe2O3 and CB. Density functional theory demonstrates that the carbon atom in CO exhibits more resilient interactions with the surface of Pd, thereby elucidating the enhanced C-O binding characteristic of Pd. The results of the orbital analysis indicate that the 3d orbitals of Pd are involved in the process of hybridization with the 2p orbitals of C and O. Consequently, the domain overlap between the C2p and Pd3d/Fe3d orbitals significantly broadened, resulting in the solid adsorption of CO onto the Pd/Fe2O3 surface.

• Vernon Somerset, Shaheeda Adonis, Charlton van der Horst, Philani Mponguse

Department of Chemistry, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

Title: Development of Analytical Chemistry Tools for Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring

Abstract: Environmental concerns threatening aquatic and ecosystem health are the state of water resources. Improving water quality and ecosystems is an important UN goal for sustainable development. In developing countries, effluent discharges from wastewater treatment plants are the leading cause of ecosystem degradation due to micropollutants. These compounds, which cover a wide range of chemical species of inorganic and organic nature, are poorly degraded in conventional wastewater treatment, and their presence in water bodies remains at low concentrations (ug/l), causing adverse effects due to chronic exposure.

The Environmental Chemistry Research Group aims to investigate the prevalence of pharmaceutical compounds, various metals, and emerging pollutants in wastewater, freshwater, sediment, and biota samples.

To achieve the above objective, analytical techniques such as electroanalysis, spectroscopy, chromatography, materials science, nanotechnology, and adsorption studies are applied to investigate pollutants in the aquatic ecosystem.

The results obtained from analysing rare earth elements, heavy metals, platinum group metals, and benzodiazepines will be presented.

• Vikram Uttam Pandit

PGK Mandal’s Haribhai V. Desai Arts, Science & Commerce College, Pune-411002, India

Title: Water Purification and Hydrogen Generation using Multifunctional Organic & Inorganic Photocatalysts Materials

Abstract: Complex organic dyes and pigments are serious waste which damages the ecosystem as well as aquatic life. Researchers are working to overcome this serious issue for many years, but to developed cost-effective and eco-friendly method is unsolved challenge. Of late, inorganic based photocatalysis helps to treat industrial wastewater to some extent. Various inorganic semiconductor photocatalysts with high efficiency have been reported with different dyes degradation study.

We have synthesized 6,13-Pentacenequinone (PQ) an intermediate required to synthesize Pentacene which is well known organic semiconductor. After complete characterization we explored PQ for Industrial Dye degradation and photocatalytical H2S splitting for the first time. We also synthesized the composite system of PQ-TiO2 with inorganic semiconductor photocatalyst. Recently a report of PQ-MoS2 photocatalyst also covers the water splitting area. This organic PQ photocatalyst has high potential in photocatalysis field which can be utilized for the clean environment and for Hydrogen generation.

Workshop keywords: material science, battery conversion and storage materials, sustainability, smart nanomaterials, computational techniques

Invasive alien species are regarded as one of the direct drivers of biodiversity loss globally. Of interest is the encroachment by invasive alien plants, which are mainly introduced through human movement. Recent reports by IPBES have suggested that invasive alien plants continue to invade new ecosystems and the rate of expansion is unprecedented. Most of the invasive alien plants cause irreversible impacts to both nature and society. Globally, the cost of invasion by invasive alien plants is estimated at billions of US$ through native species displacement, loss of water, and agricultural products. On the other hand, invasive alien plants were intentionally introduced in different regions for different benefits. Several studies have reported that invasive alien plants provide large benefits such as timber, fuelwood, income for rural livelihoods, fodder, and environmental benefits such as dune stabilisation. However, it is generally perceived that the costs associated with invasive alien plants tend to outweigh the benefits, thus the need to manage them sustainably is urgent. Although individual countries and regional bodies have set up measures to manage invasive alien plants, a broad discussion on invasion extent, effects, and control options is needed if management of invasive alien plants is to be effective and integrative.

Our workshop will aim at discussing invasive alien plants as a global environmental problem. We will invite experts with the aim to discuss and address three key questions:
(i) what are the invasion pathways of introduction in Sweden and South Africa?
(ii) what are the effects of invasive alien plants in Sweden and South Africa?
(iii) what management interventions are being put in place in the two countries to manage invasive alien plants?

Overall, we want to create a platform for sharing information about invasive alien plants as well as discussing potential management options being used in the two different countries. The workshop will start with expert presentations on the three themes, followed by panel discussions. We aim to share knowledge on invasive alien plants and control methods that are being implemented. We aim to use the workshop to create future collaborations in invasion biology. Such collaboration will be in the form of student co-supervision, collaborative research funding applications, and co-publication of research papers. Therefore, all workshop participants will be linked, and we will form a research group that works towards understanding invasion biology.

14:00 - 14:15 Anna Treydte (SU-SW): Current and future invasive plant species distribution and impact
14:20 - 14:35 Florence M Murungweni (UNIVEN-SA): Utilizing GIS and Remote Sensing for mapping and monitoring invasive alien plant species
14:40 - 14:55 Cristián Alarcón Ferrari (SLU-SW): Invasive alien plant species and prospects of community participation in science and policy
15:00 - 15:15 Sheunesu Ruwanza (RU-SA): Invasive alien plant control and management interventions
15:20 - 15:55 Discussion on invasion impacts and potential management solutions
15:55 - 16:00 Concluding remarks

The programme is designed in such a way that it will cover all the invasion stages from introduction to management. We want to encourage an interdisciplinary view of all invasion aspects that are discussed. We will discuss possible interlinkages between themes and encourage debates about insufficient management and integrated approaches to long-term sustainable prevention and mitigation planning against invasive plants.

Keywords: Biological invasion, alien plants, invasion pathways, invasion control, ecological restoration.

Introduction
Consumers are becoming increasingly mindful of animal welfare, and regulations are getting stricter. The development of future animal production systems needs to include the creation of sustainable and affordable practices that meet these standards.

Relevance to the Swedish and South African context
Developing such practices in animal production, adapted to country-specific conditions, including knowledge transfer between countries will assist both countries to better prepare and adapt to future requirements.

Aim of the workshop
The workshop aims to explore the current challenges faced by animal production systems in South Africa and Sweden, from a system’s perspective. This will be done by delving into the root causes of these challenges and comparing outcomes between the two countries. Furthermore, the workshop aims to enable knowledge transfer between the two countries, as well as between industry and academia.

Future collaborations and activities beyond the Forum
As the workshop uncovers existing challenges in both countries, it sets the stage for future research. The data from the workshop could support a first publication on the subject. Moreover, it provides a networking opportunity for researchers, beyond the presenters, to collaborate on future projects The workshop is a collaboration between North-West University (South Africa), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Research Institutes of Sweden. However, the workshop will create an opportunity to initiate further collaboration with the South African historically disadvantaged institutions, as well.
The outcome of the workshop will also be used as the base for future funding applications and exploring student exchange programs.

Welcoming
5 min - Introduction of the research team and aim of the workshop

Presentations:
10min – Current research and available literature
15 min – Examples of Swedish animal production systems and best practices
15 min – Examples of South African animal production systems and best practices

Breakaway session for smaller groups
45min – Groups to discuss and document: Industry challenges and root cause analysis by means of a Fishone Diagram

Closing
20 min – Feedback session from different groups
10 min – Discussion on future research

Keywords: Animal production systems, Animal welfare, Development, Challenges, Root cause analysis

Ensure that you include an introduction of the topic, its relevance to the Swedish and South African context, the aim/purpose of the workshop, and how you plan to develop future collaborations and activities beyond the Forum. In case of acceptance, this text will be used for communication purposes to market the workshop and will serve as an introduction for the attendees (max 500 words).
The effective management of hazardous electronic waste is a significant problem especially in developing countries. The situations is particularly problematic in Africa, where countries are tasked with managing substantial and escalating volumes of electrical and electronic trash. This issue has gained significant recognition as a critical environmental concern and a health hazard. The rapid growth and development in the information and communication technology (ICT) industries have contributed to the acceleration of this phenomenon. The proliferation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) has presented many issues, necessitating the implementation of efficient management strategies that prioritize environmental sustainability to mitigate adverse effects on human health and the ecosystem. The proposed workshop aims to demonstrate the increasing magnitude of electronic garbage (e-waste) as a significant concern for both the environment and human health in developing nations, where the treatment of waste presents substantial difficulties. The results of our research indicate a consistent rise in the quantity of electronic waste being directed toward developing nations over time. Most countries need more dedicated legislation about electronic trash (e-waste), instead of relying on preexisting hazardous waste regulations. The incorrect disposal and inadequate management of electronic scrap (e-waste) raise various concerns, including soil and water contamination, depletion of grazing areas, and adverse health effects. These health effects encompass respiratory infections, different forms of cancer, congenital malformations, genetic disorders, and other ailments that impact crucial organs, such as the brain.
In Europe, there is an increasing number of policies that aim to improve the quality, lifespan and repairability of electrical and electronic products. These policies include both mandatory product design requirements, mandates to provide spare parts and software updates for products on the market, and mandatory labelling to guide consumer choice. These policies will have some effects also on the e-waste situation in developing countries, e g as we expect that products will become more repairable and access to spare parts will be improved. Further, there are new proposals on how European policies could support e-waste actors in developing economies. As an example, the money paid by producers when putting a product on the market in Europe could be transferred to a developing economy when the product is exported there. While this could have been difficult to do historically, new developments such as digital product passports will enable tracking of products, and thus support new policies.
At the workshop, the partners will discuss their experiences and come up with specific proposals on future cooperation, and policy proposals to address the problems. An effective policy mix will include both European policies influencing products design, and monetary flows, as well as developments in emerging economies, which include effective market surveillance and the development of rules and standards to deal with e-waste.

Planned Activity Duration Responsible person

Introduction and setting the scene for the workshop 5 mins Dr Kavita Behara (MUT, SA), Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden)
Status of e-waste management systems in South Africa & Europe,
Environmental impact due to E-waste 35 mins Dr Thobeka Makhathini (MUT, SA)
Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden)
Prof Ajay Kumar Mishra (DUT, SA)
Effects of e-waste in human health 10 mins Prof Nokuthula Sibiya (MUT, SA)
Dr Kavita Behara (MUT, SA)
Discussion 10 mins Dr Kavita Behara (MUT, SA), Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden)
All (Attendees)
Challenges in adopting sustainable e-waste management technologies 15 mins Prof Ajay Kumar Mishra (DUT, SA)
Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden)
Policy trends on e-waste management (African and European context) 20 mins Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden), Dr Kavita Behara (MUT, SA)
Digital right to repair 15 mins Prof. Katja de Vries (Uppsala, Sweden)
Discussion and closing remarks 10 mins Dr Carl (Lund, Sweden), Dr Kavita Behara (Leader) (MUT, SA)

Keywords: e-waste, waste management, environmental impact, air pollution, sustainability, remediation

The challenge of feeding a growing population on increasingly limited and sometimes degraded land in climate-resilient and sustainable ways has put agriculture practices at the focal point of attention. It calls for a rethinking of agriculture and food systems. Sustainable agriculture combines increased agricultural production and economic development, while promoting environmental protection and more equitable sharing of social benefits. Its achievement requires the development of new ideas, practices and tools.

The use of agricultural biologicals is steadily increasing, and the global market of biologicals is currently doubled about every 4th year. However, the market share in Africa is, in comparison, minute. In this workshop, Nordic and South African representatives will present how they view the emerging area of Agricultural Biologicals, and how they use it. A part of the workshop will be dedicate to a panel discussion where we open up for questions from the audience.

Agricultural biologicals are nature-based products that can increase yield, improve plant health, manage crop pests and pathogens. As such, they offer alternatives to conventional agrochemicals, which can have a negative impact on the environment and also on biodiversity. Biologicals can act as biopesticides, biocontrol agents, biostimulants, resistance inducers or biofertilizers. If correctly used, they can increase resilience by providing a more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. For future development of a sustainable agriculture, it is vital to thoroughly test the efficiency of biologicals and build capacity to systematically study these.

There are many drivers of a shift from agrochemicals to agribiologicals. For example, the European Green Deal aims to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, as well as the use of more hazardous pesticides, by 50% by 2030. This will also affect the export markets in southern Africa.

There has been limited information on the precise status of biologicals in sub-Saharan Africa. As part of an AgriFoSe2030 project, we therefore recently performed a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) analysis of stakeholders active in the agriculture sector in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa regarding agricultural biologicals. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected over 18 months from policy makers, regulators, researchers, agricultural-based investors, agro-dealers, farmers’ organizations, extension service providers, and smallholder farmers. In this workshop, we will first present the findings from our KAP analysis and contrast these to the status of biologicals in Sweden and Europe in general. We will discuss pitfalls and possibilities for biologicals both from a Swedish and South African view point to identify common and different needs.

Program
14:00-14:05: Welcome, Erik Alexandersson (SLU)/Lerato Matsaunyane (ARC)/Quenton Kritzinger (University of Pretoria)
14:05-14:20: "Knowledge, Attitude and Practice survey of AgriBiologicals in sub-Saharan Africa", Quenton Kritzinger (University of Pretoria)
14:20-14:35: Martin Gejl from AgroLab Denmark
14:35-14:50: "The biologicals landscape in South Africa" Deidre Ondendaal from AECI, South Africa
14:50-15:05: ”Biological control at SkogForsk – the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden”, Elina Kalmi and Urska Klepec (Skogforsk)
15:05-15:45 Panel discussion led by Lerato Matsaunyane (ARC); speakers and Wilma Mcpherson (SABO)

Keywords: agriculture, biologicals, climate change, plant health, food security
This event is given as a part of the Fascination of Plants Day 2024!

PhD programmes previously focused primarily on developing researchers and preparing PhD graduates for academia. Today, approximately half of PhDs do not end up in academia. PhD programmes are critiqued for not delivering PhDs with the necessary employability skills for the modern workplace (O'Connor et al., 2023).

To address the critique, higher education has collaborated more closely with different stakeholders to get a better understanding of the needs of these stakeholders. This collaboration focused on relevance and creating value that could benefit various stakeholders. Despite the efforts, PhD programmes still struggle to deliver PhDs that are prepared for the workplace (Valencia-Forrester, 2019).

Work-integrated learning (WIL) can provide PhD students with a more realistic perspective of what is expected in the workplace through an intentional educational approach that uses relevant and authentic work-based experience where theory is integrated with practice-related tasks as part of the curriculum(Bernhard and Olsson, 2023, O'Connor et al., 2023).

WIL can potentially address the relevance of transferable skills during the PhD. What could still be problematic is that even with the introduction of WIL, a one-size-fits-all approach is adopted. By introducing career crafting, the emphasis is to provide more agency to the student to identify the skills they need actively and custom-make the PhD journey through WIL. This signals a movement from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more individualised approach to better equip each graduate.

WIL has been implemented in undergraduate qualifications, but very little research is available on WIL in PhD education. University West has extensive experience in WIL, while the University of the Free State is just embarking on this journey. The collaboration can enhance both universities' understanding of WIL in PhD programmes and provide a new perspective in thinking about WIL.

The workshop serves as an opportunity to better understand how the workshop organisers' initial ideas could be enhanced and developed further to inform their collaboration in WIL in PhD education from the perspectives of the Swedish and the South African context.

The purpose of this workshop can be helpful for two audiences:
For educators/programme developers: The workshop can provide inspiration on how to incorporate WIL and career crafting to provide a more individualised approach to employability.
For students: The information covered in the workshops can inform students on what they need to focus on during their PhD journey to provide them with the necessary skills for their career paths.

References:
Bernard, I. & Olsson, A. K. 2023. One foot in academia and one in work-life – the case of Swedish industrial PhD students. Journal of Workplace Learning, 35, 506-523.
O'Connor, M. D., Denejkina, A. & Arvanitakis, J. 2023. Preparing doctoral candidates for employment: Delivering research and employability skills training in the PhD via work-integrated learning, IJWIL, 24(1), 19-42. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 24, 19-42.
Valencia-Forrester, F. (2019). Internships and the PhD: Is This the Future Direction of Work-Integrated Learning in Australia? International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 20(4), 389-400.

The workshop is designed as an interactive and collaborative learning activity. PhD students and academics are welcome to attend.

The workshop will be divided into two parts:
An overview of the concepts and what we know (informed by literature)
Brief overview of the changing PhD landscape
Brief overview of WIL and the application of WIL in PhD programmes
Exploring career crafting
Integrating these principles within WIL in PhD programmes

Interactive discussions based on how a more individualised learning experience can be created through the integration of WIL and career crafting concepts

Presenters at the workshop will be
Anna-Karin Olsson (University West, Sweden),
Kristina Areskoug Josefsson (University West, Sweden),
Liezel Massyn (University of the Free State, South Africa)

Keywords: Work-integrated learning, PhD programmes, protean career, career crafting

This workshop will share the experiences and gained knowledge of our seed grant collaboration
concerning the development of mutual programs in animation and visualization in higher
education in both Sweden and South Africa. The intended outcomes were to establish a
foundation and structure for future cooperation in animation education and curricula
development, expand the horizon from an east-west perspective to incorporate north-south, and
decolonize animation as a subject in both Sweden and South Africa. This collaboration will even
focus on the 2030 sustainability goals, primarily SDG 4 and 5.
The primary goal of this proposed workshop is to share the challenges, opportunites, and
preliminary results from our workshop in South Afria regarding the development of mutual
programs in visualization and animation, as well as find other academic institutions that are
interested in sharing similar experiences or possibly joining in future collaborations
This workshop can also be of interest for all academics who are interested in co-developing
curricula in both South Africa and Sweden regardless of their primary subject.

The first hour will be used for the South African and Swedish teams to share the preliminary
results including the discovered pitfalls and opportunites of designing mutual programs in
animation in visualization in higher education. The second hour will be used for comments and
questions with the primary goal of finding other higher education institutions in South Africa and
Sweden that would like to collaborate in this or similar projects regarding developing mutual
curricula.

Keywords: Animation, Vizualization, Work-Integrated-Learnining, decolonization of
education

The role of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI’s) in promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) is crucial since they are engaged with knowledge creation, skills development, and in the promotion of values, behaviours, and lifestyles favorable to a sustainable future. In this regard universities both in Sweden and in South Africa require innovative sustainability pedagogical methods for preparing students to create a more sustainable world. The other more deliberate effort is to engage historically excluded populations from the sustainability conversation as the SDG’s have been critiqued on offering a western ontology promoting neoliberal development models which can disenfranchise non-western communities (Nawn, 2015).

This aim of this workshop is to practically explore with university lecturers the features of a “green pedagogical” approach to module design. A key feature of a “green pedagogical” approach is that learning is transformative (Mezirow, 1995) since it is driven by the imperative of locally based action. Taking immediate action to resolve sustainability issues while learning means that these pedagogies concurrently offer a direct pathway towards infusing sustainability consciousness amongst students. In this workshop digital storytelling is a tool that will be used to offer lecturers an opportunity to explore learning design that connect to student interests, community needs and sustainability goals. As digital media offers the possibility for embracing, legitimizing and recognizing the rich cultural and linguistic narratives of all people including those who have been historically excluded the development of “action stories” will help lecturers to unearth all funds of knowledge so that all voices are given the opportunity to contribute and be heard.

The workshop is open to all lecturers of any discipline, as green pedagogies and digital stories has a universal applicability, hence the possibility on inter-and transdisciplinary collaborations will be encouraged. This could include collaborative online international learning opportunities. Lecturers attending the workshop will have the opportunity to engage with colleagues to create pedagogical experiments that could offer the beginnings of longer term collaborations beyond the workshop.

The following is a tentative workshop design for two hours, where the pedagogical method is in focus and thus suitable for any area of knowledge:

10 min Introduction to Education for Sustainable Futures and Green Pedagogies
20 min Two case studies (One from South Africa and the other from Sweden)
15 min Exploring the power of stories
15 min Designing a “green” pedagogical outcome
30 min Creating a digital story using a cell phone
30 min Sharing digital stories/experiences/thoughts etc.

Keywords: Education for Sustainable Futures, Green Pedagogies, Digital Storytelling, CellFilm, Visual Participatory Methodology

This workshop presents work undertaken within the South African Swedish University Forum-project (SASUF) “Religious education for Sustainable Social Development: Exploring, experiencing and engaging South African and Swedish stakeholder voice”. The issue of religion and public education has been widely debated in South Africa as well as in Sweden. We focus in this paper on how national legislation and policies in both countries frame RE in schools at different levels to prepare students to become religious literate citizens in a multi-religiously diverse society. We do this by (a) employing a critical discourse analytical approach (CDA), investigating the framing of RE in national legislation and educational policies. Moreover, we investigate the national curricula concerning (b) specified knowledge content c) the various forms of competences, and (d) what attitudes the processes of learning aim to develop; together, these can be considered to construct students’ religious literacy in the curriculum.  The research shows great similarities in that the RE subject is taking place within national contexts which both safeguards human rights, forbids discrimination on religious grounds and promote diversity by educating students about their religions and those of ‘others’.  However, research evidence suggests a large number of cases reported through the media and through courts of law in South Africa since the dawn of democracy that illustrate intolerance and discrimination to religious diversity in the classroom. In Sweden, the school inspectorate has received notifications regarding denominational expressions in Swedish schools, which according to the law must be non-denominational. Cases from both the South African and Swedish context will be explored in the next step of the project. In the workshop we will present the ongoing project as well as open for critical discussions on religion in education as well as in public spaces.

We would like to present and discuss our current SASUF-project “Religious education for Sustainable Social Development: Exploring, experiencing and engaging South African and Swedish stakeholder voice” with perspectives both from South Africa and Sweden.
We plan for two presentations and thereafter time for discussions in groups and a joint concluding discussion.

Keywords: religious education, laws and national curricula, religious literacy, multi-religious society, tolerance

Our humanity and planet is under threat and this calls for sectors like education to rise to the challenges of our time. The Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 in turn yearns for innovative proposals and transformative possibilities where education promotes sustainable development and embraces global citizenship. This workshop highlights the centrality of ethics education for attaining a more acute understanding and meaningful application of this goal.

Being inspired by the UNESCO Education Futures Report (UNESCO, 2021), this workshop invites vital conversations to deliberate the transformational potential of education towards sustainable collective futures. By arguing for a new social contract to repair injustices, the report proposes five dimensions central to education 2050:
1. Pedagogies of solidarity and cooperation;
2. Curriculum and the knowledge commons;
3. Teachers and the teaching profession;
4. Safeguarding and transforming schools; and
5. Education across different times and spaces.

As UNESCO addresses the global education community in search of a new social contract, this challenge needs to be taken up Swedish and South Africa researchers.

South African and Swedish scholars collaborative work in/on/with ethics education can be one way to reimagine more sustainable futures through education. The care for life on earth is a normative and ethical endeavour, and central to ethically inspired education. While ethics in education traditionally has aimed at fostering individual responsibility for other human beings within stable nation states, the ethical concern in times of sustainability crises extends time and place, addressing global justice, the well-being of future generations and more-than-human life. The processes of species depletion and destruction of ecosystems, call for ethical aspects in education to extends the scope to other life forms, sensitive for human entanglements with the myriad of life, including future life on earth. The embeddedness of ethics education in ecological, social and political contexts requires consideration because of its ongoing relational reality with existential, ethical and political bearings on education.

The workshop will initiate vital, ethically inspired conversations to reimagine more sustainable futures by drawing on theoretical perspectives, competences, associated knowledges and approaches. Thereby drawing on how ethics in education could support young people to engage ethically with these complex issues. Rethinking ethics education by exploring the five dimensions of the Education Futures Report (UNESCO, 2021) in relation to known education and societal conditions in Sweden and South Africa will contribute to new knowledge in the field of education ethics research and unlock deeper engagement with sustainable futures.

Future collaborations will transpire from this workshop because the workshop will open-up creative research possibilities and novel ideas that can be explored further through South African and Sweden partnerships. This will develop research and new approaches for university and school curriculum to consider.

Time
5 min
Welcome by chair
Shan Simmonds (North-West University, South Africa)
20 min
One presenter for each of the five dimensions central to education 2050 as stated in the Education Futures Report (UNESCO, 2021):
1. Pedagogies of solidarity and cooperation
2. Curriculum and the knowledge commons
3. Teachers and the teaching profession
4. Safeguarding and transforming schools
5. Education across different times and spaces

1. SA colleague (Demaine Solomons, University of the Western Cape)
2. SA colleague (Dumsani Mncube, North-West University)
3. Swedish colleague (Annika Lilja, Gothenburg University)
4. SA colleague (Zama Simamane and Anette Hay, North-West University)
5. Swedish colleague (Karin Sporre, Umeå University)

Break up into five groups (chair to facilitate)
Same five presenters for each dimension
Five creative listeners (one per group) to capture the engagements
Workshop attendees

40 min
Each group will engage in vital conversations to open up the possibilities of rethinking ethics in education to reimagine more sustainable futures in relation to known education and societal conditions in Sweden and South Africa
5 Creative listeners:
Anna Westin (Umeå University, Sweden)
John Bhurekeni (Rhodes University, South Africa)
Ole Andreas Kvamme (University of Oslo, Norway)
Shan Simmonds (North-West University, South Africa)
Christina Osbeck (Gothenburg University, Sweden)
Go back to the collective group

25 min
Creative listeners provide main arguments and proposals raised to the collective group
(5 min per creative listener)

15 min
Discussant will draw on the theoretical perspectives, competences, associated knowledges and approaches that were raised
Heila Lotz-Sistka (Rhodes University, South Africa)
15 min
Concluding remarks to invite the input of the workshop attendees based on the discussants insights
Christina Osbeck (Gothenburg University, Sweden)

Keywords: Ethics in education; Sustainable futures; Sustainable Development Goal 4.7;

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key component in achieving these goals, as it empowers individuals to change the way they think and work towards a sustainable future.
Higher education institutions play a crucial role in promoting ESD and creating a more sustainable future. In South Africa and Sweden, there is a growing recognition of the importance of ESD in achieving the SDGs. Educational institutions are incorporating sustainability education into their curricula and pedagogy, aligning it with national and global goals and standards.

Many Universities are pioneering efforts to instill values of conservation and the appreciation of natural resources among students because they have a vital role to play in driving change towards the attainment of the SDGs. They can be agents of change in their communities, promoting sustainable practices and advocating for policies that support sustainability.

By participating in ESD initiatives, students can acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.

In conclusion, building a sustainable future requires a collective effort, and education is paramount in achieving all the SDGs. Higher education institutions, schools, and students have a crucial role to play in promoting ESD and driving change towards a sustainable future in South Africa, Sweden, and beyond.

Ethnography is a qualitative research method that aims to lend insight into the workings of human activity. It has the particularity that the ethnographer is the actual data collection instrument. Because of this, one of the challenges ethnographers face as positioned observers is maintaining a studied self-reflexivity throughout their work. The end result of an ethnographer's research is usually a written account of what they have observed and understood about the people they studied. The applicability of anthropological ethnographic inquiry goes beyond academia, and can guide policies and laws, infrastructure and agricultural development, marketing campaigns, and health and education programs, among others. South Africa and Sweden collaborate on many social, educational, ecological and commercial activities in Southern Africa, where ethnographic information can provide a rich and solid foundation for the best approaches and outcomes. Through this workshop, we will share some of the methods and ethical considerations that guided our own ethnographic inquiry while doing fieldwork in Mozambique.
Our presentation includes interactive group activities to engage our audience in a dynamic exchange of knowledge and views throughout the workshop. The proposed structure is as follows:
1. Workshop outline and meet and greet between facilitators and attendees 
2. Introduction to ethnographic fieldwork terminology and techniques and positionality of the researcher in the field 
3. Group activity: “Going into the field”. Audience participants interact with each other in ficticious scenarios, sharing possible ethnographic strategies and tools and reflecting on their positionality 
4. Break 
5. Judith Vincent: ethnographic fieldwork experience in Inhambane 
6. Maria Rosa Rodner: ethnographic fieldwork experience in Provincia de Maputo 
7. Q&A session

Keywords: ethnographic fieldwork, provincial Mozambique, South-east Africa, rural societal resilience and sustainability, youth and adolescent studies.

 

Several trends influencing higher education are highlighted by the World Economic Forum (El-Azar, 2022). The WEF suggests a """"learn from everywhere"""" strategy which focuses on immersion, potentially achieved through a hybrid learning environment not limited by geography and includes active learning (experiential learning) (Halabieh et al., 2022). Such a learning environment can be co-designed with students if it is underpinned by an ethic of care (Corbera et al., 2020) necessary in the Higher Education context. In the shadow of the devastating pandemic, some students struggle to attend in-person lectures on campus, especially post-graduate students, for whom work commitments often take preference. To address this, a pedagogy of care, which focuses on receptiveness and responsiveness (Noddings, 1984) may be used to create immersive experiential experiences for students using 4IR technologies. At the same time, open pedagogy may be combined with a pedagogy of care to help build resilience in students to become life-long learners and global citizens. According to Hegarty (2015), open pedagogy is associated with learner-generated content, collaborative practice, openness, trust, innovation and creativity, sharing of ideas and resources, and peer review.
The aim of this workshop is thus to share ideas around open pedagogy and a pedagogy of care using technology. An example will be shared of how academic literacy is taught in strategic communication among first year students in a blended mode during tutorials. At the same time the application of these pedagogies at a postgraduate level will be workshopped especially focussing on possible international collaborations. These, with a focus on building resiliance, will be positioned as ways in which students are enable to become global citizens using their knowledge fo social change in their respective communities.

It is envisaged that the workshop will provide an opportunity to develop the creation of international hybrid active learning experience to build resilience among undergraduate and postgraduate students in light of limited funding opportunities for student exchange. Industry involvement may provide further opportunity for the exploration of the incorporate of VR technologies. Participants will have the opportunity to co-create programmes in which their students can participate in these active learning experiences as part of their respective university programmes on a voluntary basis.

Corbera, E. et al. (2020) ‘Academia in the Time of COVID-19: Towards an Ethics of Care’, Planning Theory & Practice, 21(2), pp. 191–199. doi: 10.1080/14649357.2020.1757891.
El-Azar, D. (2022). 4 trends that will shape the future of higher education. Available from:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/four-trends-that-will-shape-the-future-of-higher-education/
Halabieh, H., Hawkins, S., Bernstein, A.E., Lewkowict, S., Unaldi Kamel, B., Fleming, L. and Levitin, D., 2022. The futureof higher education: Identifying current educational problems and proposed solutions. Education Sciences, 12(12),p.888.
Noddings, N. (1984) Caring. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Introductions (10 minutes)
Presentation by the University of Johannesburg on open pedagogy and a pedagogy of care (10 minutes)
Presentation by Lund University of building resilience (10 minutes)
Coffee/tea break (20 minutes)
Demonstration of academic literacy application in strategic communication as an example by the University of Johannesburg (10 minutes)
Breakaway groups to discuss possible co-creation of hybrid active learning programmes (40 minutes)
Consolidation and closing (20 minutes)

Keywords: Active learning, resilience, open pedagogy, pedagogy of care

Sweden and South Africa find themselves on the opposite sides of the global North-South divide as defined by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), but an ongoing conversation between visual studies scholars and practitioners in both countries revolves around issues of mutual concern. They include A) contestation about public art and of the memorialization of controversial historical figures, structures and sites, B) an indigenous activism/artivism in the context of colonial structures and monuments, and calls for decolonization, and C) debates about race and gender in the identitarian politics of both countries. Race and racialization, especially, is gaining increasing traction as a contested interpretative framework for social histories and relations in Sweden. And even though Apartheid gave way, in 1994, to a new democratic South African polity, racial categories continue to inform political agendas and reveal enduring structures of social inclusion and exclusion.

This workshop gathers current scholarship on visual imagery for social change at the intersection of social and artistic research and practice. A focus of our conversation will be on social divides within the two countries, indicative of unexpected similarities between them, ones that call into question the relevance of global development discourses, past and present.

The workshop links up in direct and indirect ways with a series of conferences organized by Schmahmann, Löfving and colleagues at Karlstad and Johannesburg since 2019. Each conference expands the network of scholars nationally in South Africa and Sweden, and internationally. This can be exemplified by the SASUF Goes digital panel of 2022 – Photography and Visual Heritage in Sweden and South Africa – and the conference at the San Cultural Heritage centre, !Kwa ttu, in South Africa in 2023 – Indigeneity and Visual Sovereignty. These events saw the participation of researchers from the universities of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Witwatersrand, Cape Town, and Nelson Mandela University, and Södertörn, Linnaeus, Mid Sweden, Umeå, Gothenburg and Karlstad, and they were also open to students from the universities of both Johannesburg and Karlstad, and to practitioners from museums, galleries, and public archives. Selected papers from Indigeneity and Visual Sovereignty are currently being developed into a special issue of the journal, Critical Arts.

Time: Thursday 16 May, 2024, 14.00-16.00
Venue: Crafoordsalen, Articum

Convenors: Brenda Schmahmann, Professor and South African Research Chair in South African Art and Visual Culture, University of Johannesburg, and Staffan Löfving, Associate Professor, Department of Language, Literature and Intercultural Studies, Karlstad University, and Visiting Associate Professor with the SARChI Chair in South African Art and Visual Culture, University of Johannesburg

Programme:

• 14.00  Confronting gender based violence in the works of Diane Victor  Karen von Veh, Professor Emerita, Art History and Theory and past Head of the Visual Art Department, University of Johannesburg
• 14.30  Affect and care in Sámi artist Katarina Pirak Sikku's engagement with the archive of racial biology in Uppsala, Sweden  Erika Larsson, Senior lecturer, Art History and Visual Studies, Department of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University
• 15.00  The Sol Plaatje wing of the Vroue Monument Museum: Sharing marginalised stories of the South African War  Shanade Barnabas, Assistant Professor, Cultural Heritage and Identity, University of Groningen, and Visiting Associate Professor with the SARChI Chair in South African Art and Visual Culture, University of Johannesburg
• 15.30  Returning Mmakgabo Sebidi's lost artworks from Sweden  Kim Berman, Professor, Visual Art, University of Johannesburg

The workshop will provide a teaser of ongoing cutting-edge research in South-Africa and Sweden on the dynamic intersection of environmental microbiology and OneHealth. Environmental microbiology explores the intricate relationships of microorganisms and their environment, shedding light on their role in ecosystem services and global processes, as well as their interactions with their host organisms. Therefore, understanding and harnessing the roles of microorganisms are essential for fostering holistic health solutions such as those proposed by the One Health framework, which recognizes the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health and the necessity of comprehensive approaches to achieve global well-being. While, the connection of these two fields is obvious, researchers of the two rarely interact due to different tradiotinal roots (i.e., ecological background of microbial ecology and medical or veterinarian background of OneHealth scientists). Unfortunately, the limited communication leads to limited collaboration. Therefore, in this workshop we aim to bridge this gap through inspirational talks of outstanding transdisciplinary researchers who work actively on transcending the boundaries between these disciplines to create a more integrated framework. 

The organizers of the workshop will give an inspirational talks of their work and the ongoing SASUF project titled: “Evaluation of genomic analysis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in wastewater by enrichment panels as a tool for population-level AMR surveillance and environmental risk assessment”. 
To facilitate the primary aim (i.e., promote collaboration between South African and Swedish researchers working in microbial ecology and OneHealth), the workshop will involve interactive mentimeter facilitated discussions where everyone will be able to express their opinion and interest.

In summary, the participants will gain insights into the pivotal role of microbial ecology in shaping OneHealth strategies and inspiration to explore the realm of each other’s discipline to find innovative and actionable solutions for a healthier, more interconnected world.

Keywords: OneHealth, microbial ecology, environmental protection, ecosystem services

Air pollution is a global environmental risk and a leading cause of poor health, responsible for one in every eight deaths worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Africa, the lack of air quality laws and sparse monitoring networks hinders epidemiological studies on the health effects of air pollution, which are often not sustained over long periods, even in countries like South Africa that have air quality laws. South Africa's data quality for air pollution, such as PM levels, is poor, leading to an inability to report on PM2.5 levels as required by SDG 11.

The WHO has noted uncertainties and research gaps in the field, such as understanding the health impacts of mixtures of multipollutant exposures. Researchers have employed various statistical methods and, more recently, machine learning techniques, with a focus on unsupervised machine learning like k-means clustering, although such studies are scarce globally. There is a need for stronger integration and collaboration in the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics and data science.

Hence, we want to host a workshop to communicate studies that employ artificial intelligence (AI) methods such as machine learning and deep learning in air pollution exposure assessment and epidemiology studies. The workshop aims to facilitate discussions about the practical application of these AI methods.

The aim of the workshop is furthermore to explore future collaborative initiatives as well as to enhance policymakers' understanding of AI and its methodologies. As technology increasingly shapes policy landscapes, equipping decision-makers with nuanced insights becomes imperative.

Additionally, it is essential to address the inherent limitations of AI methods. Initiatives focusing on ethical considerations, potential biases, and areas where human judgment remains irreplaceable will contribute to responsible and ethical AI use. We believe joint discussions on how we can collectively contribute to these initiatives, will promote an extension of our collaboration beyond the confines of SASUF.

Zoom link, see below. 

Anna Oudin and Janine Wichmann will be the hosts of the workshop.

1. Brief overview of data science and public health (15 min) (Sean Patrick, University of Pretoria, in person)
2. Examples from South Africa (30 min):
Application of unsupervised machine learning in an air pollution epidemiology study (Nandi Mwase, University of Pretoria PhD graduate, online)
Application of deep learning methods to predict air pollution (Rirhandzu Novela, University of Venda, online/in person)
3. Example from Sweden (15 min):
The use of machine learning in environmental epidemiology: Empirical real world evidence from a human cohort study (Anna Oudin, Lund University, in person)
Improving air pollution forecasts using machine learning algorithms  (Magnuz Engardt, Stockholm University, in person)
4. Group discussion (45 min)
4. Summary and way forward (15 min) (Anna Oudin and Janine Wichmann)

Keywords: Air pollution epidemiology, AI, machine learning, deep learning, exposure assessment

Zoom link:

https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/62001648656?pwd=TVlHTTFmYWF1bko0YVBJWXIvbWczdz09
Password: 787237

The indicated times for transportation are (sharp) departure times, hence we recommend you to arrive a few minutes before the set time to make sure that you won't miss the departure time. In case you miss the time slot, you can arrange your own transportation.

Pick-up will be at Alnarpsgården and drop off will be at Stortorget, Malmö. Malmö University staff will greet you at the drop off and guide you to Malmö Town Hall (located at Stortorget).

Pick-up and drop off will be indicated closer to the forum.

You are welcome to make use of your own transport arrangements for your own cost, if you wish to depart at any other time than when the shuttles arrive/depart.

Welcome to attend a Reception at Malmö Town Hall with refreshments and a performance by Malmö Academic Choir!

PROFILHOTELS HOTEL GARDEN: Baltzarsgatan 20, 211 36 Malmö

COMFORT HOTEL MALMÖ: Carlsgatan 10 C, 211 20 Malmö

QUALITY HOTEL THE MILL: Amiralsgatan 19, 211 55 Malmö

MOMENT HOTELS MALMÖ: Norra Vallgatan 54, 211 22 Malmö

SCANDIC S:T JÖRGEN: Stora Nygatan 35, 211 37 Malmö

STORY HOTEL STUDIO: Tyfongatan 1 , 211 19 Malmö

MICROSOFT TEAMS LINK: Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 359 670 720 237

Passcode: jxHMxD

Pollution of water bodies by plastics is a growing global concern, impacting both South Africa and Sweden. Recently, pollution by microplastics (MPs) formed by the physicochemical breakdown of plastics has been flagged as a worldwide issue with long-lasting and hazardous effects to the environment, animals and humans. The natural degradation of MPs from the environment takes several years and by the time the MPs are removed, they would have already left a negative impact on the surroundings. Hence, there is an urgent need for determining the status of MPs pollution in water resources and developing eco-friendly strategies to remove them from ecosystems. The existing collaboration between Lund University, Uppsala University, Tshwane University of Technology, University of Pretoria and University of Vends aims to contribute towards building capacity in both South Africa and Sweden in remote sensing, bioremediation, environmental analytical chemistry methods for characterisation as well as modelling of pollutants. The workshop on characterisation and bioremediation of microplastics aims to bring together researchers, early career researchers, postdoctoral fellows and postgraduate students from both South Africa and Sweden to engage on current trends in elucidating the fate and transport of these contaminants of emerging concern using artificial intelligence and machine learning, characterisation using hyperspectral remote sensing and imaging as well as bioremediation technologies for the removal of these CECs in water resources. It is envisaged that a community of practice between South Africa and Sweden researchers can continuously work towards developing a spectral library and geospatial data to fill the large knowledge gaps about the geographic and temporal scales of microplastic distribution as well as propose strategies for the bioremediation of MPs in waters.
The workshop be in a hybrid format to allow wider participation in both South Africa and Sweden.
The workshop will be in the form of presentation from experts including a question and answer
and way forward. The workshop structure could be structured as follows:
5 minutes: Welcome and overview of the workshop
45 minutes presentation on bioremediation of MPs (Swedish partners)
10 minutes Q&A
45 minutes presentation on remote sensing and characterisation of microplastics (South African
partners)
10 minutes Q&A
5 minutes closing and wayforard
The Swedish presentations are as follows:Mikael Ekvall: Nanoplastics in wetland models: Fate and effect
Tommy Cedervall och Martin Lundqvist: Facilitated breakdown of microplastics in nature
Rajni Hatti Kaul: Different means of bioremediation of microplastics
Keywords: Microplastics, characterisation, bioremediation, remote sensing

Introduction of the topic
Peri-urban areas in sub-Saharan cities are growing and changing due to incessant migration and urbanisation. The rapid expansion of small rural towns in South Africa in particular results in depletion of common property resources and natural ecosystems as individuals maximise their own gains. As the small rural towns experience increases in the number of households residing in the peri-urban villages, there is lack of access to natural ecosystem services due to rapid expansion of housing developments into the commons including mountains and wetlands. These commons are slowly depleting. This complexity is exacerbated by the need to provide space for new housing developments and survival of households amid challenges affecting their livability in the urban periphery. The purpose of this workshop is therefore to unravel and depict the sustainability impact of commons depletion on ecosystem services in peri-urban villages of small rural towns in South Africa.

Relevance of it to the Swedish and South African context
This research is key to the already established and existing network of researchers from Sweden and South Africa. These Swedish and South African research partners are co-supervising research projects. The Swedish experience therefore provides a case of best practices from the north which can be adopted in South Africa. Thus, the current workshop intends to draw insights from Sweden on how to understand the sustainability impact of commons depletion on ecosystems services in peri-urban villages of small rural towns of South Africa. The major contribution of this partnership is therefore to present a framework for climate action and SDGs as a sustainable response to commons depletion in the urban periphery.

The aim/purpose with the workshop
This workshop contributes to the debates of SDGs, urbanization and ecosystem services in a context of North-South collaboration. The impact of urbanization and land use changes on ecosystems services and to achieve the SDGs in peri-urban villages of small rural towns will be stressed in an endeavor to develop a framework for climate action as a sustainable response of fast-growing areas. The workshop intends to give students an opportunity to discuss and present their views on how the proposed framework on climate action can be useful to curb the depletion of commons and enhance ecosystems services. Finally, the research team looks forward to expanding the existing pool of researchers (both students and lecturers) who are interested to work on the project.
How you plan to develop future collaborations and activities beyond the forum
The research team intends to engage the Vhembe Local Municipality on how the proposed framework can be used to curb depletion of the commons and enhance ecosystems services in peri-urban villages of small rural towns in the district. We look forward to establishing an institutional Research Chair at the University of Venda which focuses on these oncepts. The research team will continue to co-supervise postgraduate students from the Swedish and South African universities participating in the project. We hope to sign Memorandum of Understanding with Swedish universities, and pave way for joint degree programmes and student exchange programmes.

Check zoom link: https://mau-se.zoom.us/j/68980478561  (also in field video stream)

1000hrs
Welcome and opening of workshop Experiences from Sweden – Ecosystem services, SDGs and the commons (Overwiew)
Prof N Ekelund
1020hrs
Unpacking the key concepts and focus
Prof T Gumbo - online

1030hrs
Impact of migration and urbanization on sustainable cities: A comparative analysis of Swedish and African cities
Prof M Thynell

1040hrs
Land use planning imperatives in South Africa
Prof V Nel - online

1050hrs
Climate action tools and procedures
Prof S Manik

1110hrs
Remote Sensing and GIS as critical skills for research
Dr P Schubert

1120hrs
The commons and local economic development in small towns
W Nthangeni online

1130hrs
Depleting wetland ecosystems in the periphery of small towns
P Banda online

1140hrs
Where do we go from here?: The future of the project and discourses. Discussion.
Dr E Ingwani

1200hrs
Closure
Prof N Ekelund

Linkages with South African research priority areas
All presentations from lecturers and PhD students relate to the concept of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Examples from the Limpopo Province in South Africa and Sweden will be presented. At the end of the workshop there will be a discussion on how to collaborate in future research projects between the universities involved. The plan is to allocate two hours on Friday 17th of May 2024 in Malmö and the Chair of the workshop is Professor Nils Ekelund.

Keywords: climate action, peri-urban, small rural towns, ecosystem services, sustainability

In 2015, the United Nations adopted seventeen global sustainable development goals (SDGs), and there is now a rapid expansion of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across nations and universities. Quality ESD requires students to develop a range of key competences such as systems thinking, strategic agency, collaborative skills, critical and creative problem-solving, self-awareness, and deep understanding of different normative values. Coupled with these skills, there is also an emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches to address so-called wicked problems. However, in spite of previous efforts to strengthen students’ interdisciplinary learning, most ESD have ended up in multidisciplinary approaches only with no actual integration of different disciplinary perspectives (interdisciplinarity) – and the same phenomenon can be observed in many ‘interdisciplinary’ doctoral programmes across the globe, both within and beyond the field of sustainable development. Still interdisciplinarity per se is a quality criterion in the EU framework of innovative doctoral education, which has reached attention far beyond European universities.

A general challenge in all ESD is that multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research are defined in different ways in the literature, and that these concepts are often used in exchangeable ways in practice. In doctoral education, one also needs to consider that institutional organisations, curricula, and supervisors are seldom adequately prepared for promoting interdisciplinary research. As a result, doctoral students’ learning processes sometimes lead to the opposite outcomes, such as when they rather strengthen their mono-disciplinary positions than collaborate across disciplines. Thus, there is now a situation where interdisciplinary research is a global key word in higher education policies to address the SDGs – yet without a clear understanding of how this can be promoted in doctoral educational practice. Also, considering the increased internationalisation of doctoral education, this picture is further complicated by the fact that national needs and contextual meanings of attaining diverse SDGs vary by country.

Against this background, our overall project (funded by a SASUF seed grant) aims to develop a context-sensitive pedagogical framework for developing ESD key competences and interdisciplinary supervision in doctoral education in South Africa and Sweden. Based on participatory research methodology within the context of interdisciplinary doctoral education, interviews have been conducted with supervisors and doctoral students at two universities in South Africa and two in Sweden. Within each country, data was collected from: (1) interdisciplinary doctoral programmes with an explicit focus on sustainable development, and (2) interdisciplinary doctoral programmes lacking this profile. Based on thematic analysis of the interviews, we will offer a preliminary context-sensitive pedagogical framework for enhancing interdisciplinary doctoral research. So far, such frameworks have generally been missing – especially within the research field of sustainable development studies, where our workshop will be an original contribution.

We will present the findings from the project and invite workshop participants to discuss interdisciplinarity and sustainability in doctoral education, from both a doctoral student and a supervisor perspective. The following questions will guide the workshop:

How do supervisors and doctoral students conceptualise interdisciplinary doctoral research?
What challenges do supervisors and doctoral students experience with supervising/generating interdisciplinary doctoral work, and what support do they need in this process?
How are their interdisciplinary approaches shaped by potential connections to the SDGs in the doctoral students’ projects?
How do their interdisciplinary approaches vary by national and educational contexts?
There will be opportunities in the workshop to interact on ideas for future research collaborations.

A presentation onf our project with sasuf-seed money 2023 – 15 min
An interactive workshop where we introduce four to five key concepts in interdisciplinarity and sustainability followed by four to five group discussions – 90 min
Concluding with discussions on what similar projects and/or new research ideas the workshop participants have in order to see what possibilities for cooperation there are beyond the sasuf-week – 15 min

Keywords: Doctoral education, doctoral supervision interdisciplinarity, PhD student competence, sustainability key competencies

Introduction:
Learning Analytics (LA) assists in identifying rich data trails that enable access to insights
into the learning process. Such data includes: students attendance; student performance;
curriculum goals; class schedules; student admission data; educational data; demographic
data and data on student affectivity (e.g. motivation, emotional states). The use of the data
can enhance our understanding of how student learn, enhance student retention and so
on.

Relevance of the topic to the Swedish and South African context:
A study conducted in South Africa (SA)1 involving eight Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs), noted the need to develop LA models at South African HEIs. Such LA models
could establish ways that data can be disaggregated and analyzed in a useful way to
optimize understanding of the individual student and identify appropriate and timely
interventions. Similar interventions are also needed in a Swedish context where LA can aid
in our understanding of the students learning process. In addition, with the introduction of
Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT it is increasingly important that we
understand how different tools aid, or deter, student learning.
How you plan to develop future collaborations and activities beyond the Forum:
It is expected that this workshop will attract academics who are interested in the use of
data to improve student attainment and to identify students who are at risk. Academics
from both Sweden and South Africa who shall attend the workshop will be invited to be
part of the Community of Practice in this endeavor. Future continuous academic activities
will be planned and executed e.g. joint workshops, research, publications.

The aim/purpose with the workshop:
The aim of the workshop is to explore the use of various sources of data within LA to
support students learning and attainment at higher education institutions in Sweden and
South Africa in order to identify and share examples of good practice. The workshop will
also be an opportunity to set up a Community of Practice between South Africa & Swedish
partners/Universities. Training approaches for multidisciplinary teams regarding the
identification and use of various data sources will also be taken into consideration.

The workshop will be divided into 2 sessions.
Session 1 (first hour):
- A short presentation of 1) What data is in higher learning environments, 2) What
Learning analytics is in a higher learning environments.
- A presentation of examples of various models of Learning Analytics data that is
used by various higher education institutions.
Session 2 (second hour):
- Group discussion on 1) what data is currently being used at your institution? 2) how
can LA and education data improve your education? 3) what is needed for you to
take full advantage of all the data available? (groups of 5 mixed)
- Report back & summary.
- An open discission on the way forward.

Keywords: Learning analytics, big data, student retention, sustainable education

The aim of the project is to build a long term, persistent and robust South Africa-Sweden Research School for collaborative, multidisciplinary and comparative studies on different aspects of physical activity and capacity building, based on perspectives of inclusion and equality. It will have three thematic focuses: the phenomenon of Sport Schools, the School Subjects of Life Orientation and Sport and Health, and the work conditions of Blue Light personal - firefighters, paramedics and police officers.

The form of Research School involving PhD-students is tested and widely used in Sweden to address research topics that on the one hand are strategically important to the scientific community, and on the other hand are not being researched in a qualitative and/or quantitative enough manner at any Swedish university. PhD-students from different universities are thus organized in a national PhD-education that either is formally organized and administrated by one of the participating universities, or is autonomous in relation to all the participating universities, though administrated by one of them, the latter being the preferred form in this project. Malmö University will be the main applicant and, in case of funding, be the administrative university for the Research School.

The research school will include both PhD-students and Masters students. For the reason of reproduction of the research school it will also involve students at the Bachelor level. The PhD-students will belong to a PhD-education at one of the participating university departments. The Research School will not replace the departments PhD-education, instead it will offer an additional common focus on the three thematic areas/focus areas, several optional doctoral courses, optional co-supervisors or expert supervisors, and inclusive multidisciplinary seminar series with students and researchers in and over the thematic area borders. It will organize students that are either funded by the existing PhD-educations or by external funding. It will be based on a mix of virtual- and in-real-life communication, a mix that after the Covid experience has become a qualitatively new opportunity for international collaboration.

The set-up of the Research School and Capacity Building in Life Orientation is related to the ICM-funding that the department of Sport Science at Malmö University has received for 2023 and for 2023-2025. Building the Research School will both profit from the ICM-funding, as well as further develop the spirit of that funding.

The workshop will entail a brief presentation (30-45 min) on the concept of a research school and the implementation plan for the next three (3) the by the principal drivers of the research school. The remaining time will be free and open discussion between the workshop attendees about the various facets of the research school, such as global concept, memorandum of agreement, roles and responsibilities of the partnering institutions, PG education and communication, staff and student mobility, joint / double degree terms and conditions, research funding, etc.

Keywords: research school, joint / double degree, global student

Storytelling for sustainability
The purpose of the workshop is to explore new concepts for understanding sustainability and new methods teaching sustainability in the classroom using storytelling as an inspirations. The workshop addresses different challenges. While education is emphasized as important for enabling sustainability transitions, there is still a huge challenge concerning developing methods that can better overcome the gap between education and practice. Second, while the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) have mobilized attention for managing for sustainability, the balance between economy, society and environment is being questioned as a framework for management for sustainability. A need for an alternative strong sustainability approach that is more holistic, pervasive and embedded in nature is increasingly being voiced. We suggest that storytelling can help addressing these challenges. New research on storytelling emphasize how stories are always made from landscapes and spaces and moves with the rhythms of life, not just human lives. Second, storytelling implies grounding theories and models in people’s lived experiences as well as in collective storymaking. Working with stories entails compassion, care and curiosity as well it entails an awareness of interdependence as well as responsibility. Through storytelling, students can potentially learn how to combine community building and social justice with sustainability. These topics are highly relevant in both the South African and Swedish context. The problems and their political relevance are different. Still there is an important need to look at social justice and sustainability as interconnected. The question concerning how we combine human rights with rights of ecology is important in this respects. The workshop will be organized as a participatory storytelling workshop facilitated through short presentations of how sustainability and social justice can be combined through storytelling in three different educational contexts.

Management education for dealing with societal challenges at Malmö University (MaU).
Management education for sustainability at University of Johannesburg (UJ).
Education for sustainability and social justice centered at the research network at the University of Mpumalanga (UM).

This will be followed by exercises in collaborative storytelling. The workshop is part of emerging collaboration where researchers from two of the institutions (MaU and UJ) have been visiting each other for the purpose of creating long term collaboration. A Memorandum of Understanding is being signed. Between the Swedish main applicant and the research network at UM, there has been collaboration since 2010. The collaboration between the Swedish main applicant and the researchers from the two South African universities have been in relation to PhD assessment, research workshops and conferences. This collaboration is being strengthened and there are plans of strengthening and extending the collaboration in the areas of sustainability and social justice and with a focus on power, ethics, education and learning.

Description of the context of the workshops.
What are the different contexts for problems concerning sustainability and social justice
Three 5-10 minutes presentations.
Colloborative storytelling for sustainability and social justice. How can we create new concepts for combining sustainability issues with social justice. How do we perceive these problems in the different contexts.
How can education contribute to addressing these solutions. How can we use storytelling to mobilize awareness and responsibility?
How can we train care, compassion and curiosity through using stories.
How can we storytelling to anchor sustainability and social justice in practice.
What are the new concepts we can use.
Sharing stories for discussion and wrap-up.

Keywords: Storytelling, sustainability, social justice, concepts and methods for education.

Dialogue topic for discussion
Reflecting on the participants’ academic experiences, discern a comparative analysis into the extent to which the rapid growth of smart cities and digital LMSs in general, have either exacerbated or addressed concerns of digital oppression looking at inclusivity, equality, and accessibility.
The COVID-19 pandemic, as redundant as it may seem in the year 2024, brought forth and increased the pace at which the world had to adapt to technological evolution from the world of work to education. Looking closely at the world of teaching and learning, this need to adapt created immense anxieties with issues of accessibility and equality being very prominent. The accelerated use of digital learning management systems (LMS) was argued to have been entrenched in a dehumanized educational experience that increases corporate profitability over the needs of students (Farag et al.; 2022).  An often-debatable question is “whether the rapid adaptation of digital LMS is inclusive enough to not exacerbate anxieties in the teaching and learning domain looking at both access and inclusivity”.
According to Farag et al., digital learning undoubtedly increases global access to a universe of education but can also intensify some of the worst problems described in Freire’s “banking model” (Farag et al.; 2022).
Freire’s pedagogy of the digitally oppressed in summary, suggests the banking model of teaching and learning as the world-wide view that the teacher is the possessor of knowledge and students’ receptors to deposits of this knowledge – essentially qualifying this as oppressive and inhumane (Farag et al.; 2022).
Round Table Debate topic

Looking at both the inputs of the panel members and prior research, argue for or against the effectiveness of currently implemented digital LMSs in improving or impairing the experience of teaching and learning in both South Africa and Sweden, canvased as 1st and 3rd world countries. Pay attention to the accessibility, equality, and inclusivity in both geographic contexts, referring to the degree at which these technologies accommodate the marginalised in society at the expense of their profit gains or vice versa.
This discussion will be a collective discussion post dialogue.

Digitization for cultural heritage projects have mostly focused on collections in formal archives, museums and libraries. While this is an important part of cultural heritage work, this workshop explores the challenges of digitizing 20th century informal paper archives of Southern African literature and theatre that have not been maintained in formal archives. There is an enormous amount of cheaply printed and handwritten literary ephemera not maintained in libraries. Much of this material, which formed a major cultural substrate for the majority of Southern Africans during apartheid, was never formally published, thereby making the protection and digitization of these manuscripts even more urgent for cultural heritage work in Southern Africa.

A further problem in this field is the work of corporate digitization projects which place digitized Southern African materials behind paywalls. Often, these materials are gained via access to formal university and governmental paper archives, which raise questions that have to be addressed at the level of policy. It also means that even those ephemeral forms that are kept in formal archives are not accessible to local readers.

The workshop will begin with the presentation of two case studies. The first case looks at the very real material threat to Zimbabwean theatre paper archives, which have fallen into such disrepair that important materials have certainly already been lost. The second case study looks at high quality digitization of Black South African Magazines and the problems of the corporatization of these materials.

This workshop operates as a ‘think tank’ to articulate and discuss the challenges of cataloguing and digitizing informal cultural archives in Southern Africa.

The first hour will consist of two half-hour presentations of the case studies by the Swedish and South African PIs. The second hour will be a structured discussion of how best to articulate, address and resolve the challenges of digitization of cultural heritage work in Southern Africa. Topics for discussion will include:
Copyright and lack of infrastructure to find living authors or their families
Unattributed materials – method toolbox for finding unattributed materials, or finding out who was writing behind pseudonyms
Basic quality digitization: is it enough? Is it better than nothing?
Cataloguing ephemera
Working with family trusts and other stakeholders
Repositories for digitized materials
Working with National Archives and National repositories

Keywords: Cultural heritage, digitization, African Literature, African Theatre.

This workshop is on how creative writing, performance and place can work together to enhance understandings of space and placemaking. We will explore different artistic
forms of popular memory to improve citizen awareness, engagement and socio-spatial justice, specifically in cities. We take as our case study the Johannesburg Literary Site-
specific Theatre Project run in 2022/2023, initiated by Alex Halligey through the University of Johannesburg (UJ), in collaboration with Malmö University (MAU). The project solicited
short form writing from unpublished authors on everyday experiences of Johannesburg.

Out of the submissions, a poem by Zandile Dube’s and short stories by Lerato Mahlangu and Teneal Naidoo were used as catalysts for Jade Bowers (UJ) in collaboration with three
professional performers and fourteen UJ undergraduate students, to devise the theatrical work Breaths of Joburg, staged on a pavement in downtown Johannesburg. Høg Hansen,
Rundberg (MAU), Halligey, three MAU MA students and three Johannesburg-based post-graduate students made up a research team collaborating with the artistic writing and
performance process, to understand the knowledge development it was facilitating. The six postgraduate students from MAU and Johannesburg each designed their own research
questions and thematic focal areas which fed into the overarching research initiative. Rundberg set up a multi-camera, live video feed shown through Zoom to an online audience made up of students and members of the public in Johannesburg, Malmö and other global locations.

The pilot involved a temporary exhibition at the Windybrow art centre next to the performance space with project materials visualized and ‘collaged’ in zine/DIY style-
materials. We intend to run new site-specific activities in Malmö, Sweden and Makhanda, South Africa in 2024/2025 and have longer term ambitions of iterations in other European
and African cities.

In the workshop we discuss:

1. How creative writing about places might be returned to the sites of their inspiration through public performances, how these performances might be documented, used for education, and how a trans-medial process might develop knowledge and public discourse on city space and places (drawing from Halligey, 2018, and Høg Hansen et al, 2016).
2. The project’s trans-medial process’s drawing together of different city and online publics may shift perceptions and deepen understandings a) of the lived realities of a specific urban place; b) what we might consider as constituting global presents and futures.
3. A pedagogy of collaborative learning with students, concerned with a) in live situ/engagement in on-site observation, facilitation and media production; b) hybrid and distance learning events (live and recorded for reuse) where mediation and learning are taken beyond site experience and site specificity.

The workshop will showcase and discuss creative writing examples from the initial Joburg writing competition, rehearsal and performance recordings from April 2023, a
documentary film on the project, student thesis works, and other archival materials, such as visuals, zines, and collages from the exhibition. 

Workshop Facilitators (in-person and online, several of these optional and others may be added):

Alex Halligey, Project lead/coordinator, Rhodes University, South Africa
Anders Høg Hansen, Projecct lead/coordinator, Malmö University, Sweden 
Jade Bowers, Director of pilot production, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Mikael Rundberg, interaction designer, hybrid teaching pedagogue, Malmö University, Sweden
MAU and UJ MA degree graduates who have produced MA theses on pilot in Johannseburg and optionally other students (MAU, UJ, RU) with skils/interests in the area
Leratu Mahlango, Teneal Naidoo or/and Zandile Dube, creative writing winners for pilot, Johannesburg, South Africa
Oscar Hemer, guest respondent, Malmö University, Sweden 

Keywords: Writing, Performance, Cityspace, Mediation, Education

Introduction and background of the topic:
Similar challenges have been identified in South Africa and Sweden signaling that children in care might not be heard or respected and not recognised for their capabilities to influence social change. Many significant decisions directly affecting their lives are made without their participation. This is a violation of their rights and in particular, the right to participate in matters that concern them. International treaties such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), as well as regional and local policy and legislation in Sweden and South Africa stipulate that children should participate in decisions that affect their well-being. These policy directives are important for social workers who are responsible for services to children in alternative care as they are obligated to adhere to these directives. However, there is uncertainty about how social workers understand the concept of child participation, how it is utilised in practice to ensure the best interest of the child principle, how do they adhere to policy and legislative directives and what challenges they may experience in implementation.

Relevance of the topic to the Swedish and South African Context:
Our study analysed and compared the policy and legislation of South Africa and Sweden to understand the directives for child participation and how it influence the daily work with children in alternative care and their opportunities for participation. Continuing our study, this workshop would present the preliminary findings of a World Cafe with social workers working with children in alternative care, held in South Africa in March 2024 and Sweden in May 2024. It would also extend our understanding of child participation with vulnerable children to influence social change through discussions with other interdisciplinary professionals and students within the SASUF network. This would benefit both the Swedish and the South African Context in that there is a moral and legal imperative that children should have opportunities for participation in matters concerning social change.

Aim/Purpose of the workshop:
The workshop's aim is twofold:

To discuss and further our understanding of interdisciplinary professionals' views on implementing child participation to influence social change.
To present our collaborative project to the SASUF audience.

How we plan to develop future collaborations and activities beyond the forum:
The research team, consisting of seven researchers from South Africa and Sweden, have worked together since 2019 and has already conducted workshops in South Africa and online for Swedish and South African social workers, and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals. In March 2024, the team will work together in Pretoria by conducting a World Café for South African social workers. A similar event will take place in Sweden in May 2024. The outcomes of the respective country World Cafés in South Africa and Sweden will contribute a solid base for the team’s future research into how children’s participation in alternative care can be more effectively implemented in both countries. It is essential to begin the process with social workers as they are the gatekeepers to access children. In the next project phase, we will continue by obtaining and including the voices of the children.

The World Café model was created by Juanita Brown and David Isaacs as a method to facilitate meaningful conversations in a more engaging and participatory approach. By using strategies such as an inviting environment, groups at small tables, rotations between tables, making notes at the table to be left for the next group, and harvesting of insights at the end, the World Café model supports creative thinking and problem-solving. The model is easy to use, and leave participants feeling empowered by the diversity of perspectives and the way the model enables them to collectively develop insights.

This workshop will be informed by preliminary findings from two earlier World Cafés with social workers and social work students in Sweden and South Africa respectively – on responses to questions such as: What is child participation and social change? What examples do you have of how children can participate in decision-making? 

In this workshop, we will use the preliminary findings of the two World Cafés with social workers to formulate questions to be discussed in this workshop’s interactive World Café with interdisciplinary academics and students, to help further triangulate the findings.

Keywords: Alternative care; Child Participation; Social work; World Café, Social change

Malnutrition in children is a major health problem in both South Africa and Sweden. In South
Africa malnutrition is associated with stunting early in life and with obesity later in life. In Sweden
the prevalent manifestation of malnutririon in children is obesity. The extent of the problem is
substantial with 27% of children below 4 years of age being stunted in South Africa and 15% of 4-
years old having overweight or obesity and essentially none with stunting in Sweden. Malnutrition
early in life in connected with complicteions including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer later in life. It is therefore essential to better understand causes of
malnutrition to be able to effectively intervene.
Malnutrition has been connected with multiple conditions and manifestations. Considerable work
and resources have been invested in understandning these causes and manifestations of
malnutrition in the two settings, exemplified by South Africa ans Sweden. Also, different attempts
to intervene have been made engaging different sociwetal settings and stakeholders. Although
some progress has been made, no solution to the problem has sofar been identified. On the
contray, rates of stunting and overweight inscrease in the two countries, respectively.

In the recently approved project ”Seed to end malnutrition in South Africa and Sweden” (SASUF-
NRF: 2023-2024), we describe three steps to tackle malnutrition:

1. Writing 2 metanalysis articles on effects of previous interventions targeting malnutrition in
South Africa and in Sweden.
2. Workshops with local public health representatives to map unpublished information on
already implemented interventions, both in South Africa and in Sweden.
3. Conducting intervention studies with ECHO-S zones, in the light of more concrete evidence.
In May 2024 the meta-analysis (step 1) will be ready with an updated analysis of previous
interventions to improve malnutrition in South Africa and Sweden. We therefore propose to
organize a workshop, where we will present the results of the study, during the SASUF Innovation
Week.

Dispostion of the workshop
Part 1 (20 min + 10 min break): Summary of the results of the meta-analysis. The article/
manuscript of the meta-analysis will be distributed to participants of the workshop ahead of time.
Part 2 (50 min + 10 min break): Discussion of the results of the meta-analysis in smaller groups
based on specifically formulated questions derived from the meta-analysis and questions
addressing and guiding steps 2 and 3 of the proposal “Seed to end malnutrition in South Africa and
Sweden”.
Part 3 (30 min): Summary of the results of the discussion to guide and formulate steps 2 and 3 of
the proposal “Seed to end malnutrition in South Africa and Sweden”.
Specific input to step 3 will also be available from the results from the proposed satellite event
during the Innovation Week “ECHO zone Sweden".

Keywords: Malnutrition, stunting, obesity, interventions

Smart City models are being promoted as a cure to solve the challenges of big metro cities
globally. African Metro Cities are suffering from a complex number of challenges which this
satellite event tries to address with the help of smart city models, associated emerging digital
technologies and best practices from existing smart city deployments. Smart city models with
their digital twins’ platforms are tools that can be used to provide innovative solutions to the
challenges of resource utilization, environment and air pollution monitoring, intelligent
transportation systems, remote health monitoring, water and waste management and
electricity power utilization in big African Metro cities. For example the recent underground
gas explotion in the City of Johannesburg, could have been avoided by smart city gas
sensors, connected to alarm systems using IoT networks. A “Smart City” by definition is a
city that can sense, measure and record its environment, it also includes networked
interconnection between the sectors of its economy for data sharing and co-optimization of
resource utilization. Furthermore a smart city has the capacity for high performance
computing for analysis of data gathered by Internet of Things (IoT) smart sensors and
visualizing the data in a digital twin platform, predict real-time and offline events and
perform foresight analysis for future decision making. The workshop will also address the Digital Twin concept as a virtual representation of physical systems and processes of metro
city environments and develop proof of concept applications for remedial innovations on a
common platform. This is expected to help data visualization and study of sustainability and
impact of smart city technology deployments, including urban dwellers safety and privacy in
a controlled setup. Examples of smart city models implemented in different cities and their
impact will also be presented as best practices to learn from.
Swedish Context: Next steps, on how to extend the digital transformation based on IoT Smart
sensors for developing relevant and sustainable applications. The recently introduced IoT Masters
program at Malmö University will be discussed with industry players from Mobile Heights (MH), an
Association of industry players focused on sustainable digitalization and development of a
sustainable ecosystem of smart city services and industry creation.

1- Presentation of Position paper on Smart Cities for Metro Cities of Africa, ...30 Min
2- On Swedish Industry view on sustainable digitalization and Smart City Services,....30 Minutes
3- Panel Discussion With Invited Experts from Industry & Academia.........45 Minutes
https://mobileheights.org/
4- Summary and Conclusion........ 15 Minutes.

Keywords: Smart Cities, Sustainable Digitalization, Digital Twins, Innovation, IoT

Digital technology, such as AI and ChatGPT, are often approached as drivers of change, leading us into the future. This change is often feeling overwhelming as ordinary people, users of these digital tools and systems, are trying to keep up with all the digital innovations that keep popping up. But what if we turn this around and start with the role of people, their everyday lives, routines, and socio-cultural contexts when trying to understand both contemporary digital technology development as well as when imagining and foresighting tomorrow's digital tech? This workshop will focus on users of digital technologies, tools and systems, their everyday lives and socio-cultural embeddedness. By bringing in ordinary users of digital technologies in both Sweden and South Africa (both literally and metaphorically) in this workshop, inviting participants to imagine and foresight the digital technologies of tomorrow, we introduce a method of how tech development may become more just, transparent and not the least sustainable, in the future.

The theoretical foundations of this workshop stem from critical data studies, the sociology of imaginations and storytelling. Methodologically, the workshop draws models of collaborative foresighting and ethnographic futures.

Assuming that every workshop participant is a user of digital technology, the workshop will be centred around their stories of their own situated uses of digital technologies. After a short introduction to the workshop procedures, its theoretical and methodological foundations, participants will be divided into smaller groups. We aim for around five participants in each group and we will ensure group diversity in terms of perceived age, gender and of course that every group is composed of both Sweden and South Africa based participants. People/ users seldom do what they are told to or use digital tools and systems exactly as intended. Digital technologies fail to deliver on users’ expectations. Digital tools and systems break and need repairing. This is not done in a vacuum. Digital technologies are adopted into and adapted to fit users' everyday lives, societies and cultures. Undoubtedly, digital technologies transform users’ everyday lives, societies and cultures. But also vice versa: the socio-cultural context(s) that users are situated and embedded in, will influence how digital tools and systems are used and developed. The workshop is organized with this in mind.

The first part of the groupwork will entail participants sharing stories of innovative, surprising and unintended uses of digital technologies, for example when handling tools and systems that fail or do not live up to their promises or users’ expectations. Are their similarities and/or differences in these stories regarding for example gender, age and geographic location? And why might this be so? In the second part of the groupwork, participants are invited to depart from these stories when imagining a better digital tech future, to play around with and think about future scenarios. The grand finale of the groupwork will entail the formulation of a number of foresights. The workshop is concluded after each group has presented their foresights to the other participants.

PLENARY
Welcome 10 min
Principles and rationale of the workshop 10 min
Theoretical and methodological foundations 10 min
Division into groups 5 min

GROUPWORK
Sharing of stories from each participant 25 min
Scouting and understanding similarities and differences in the stories told 20 min
Foresight formulation: What can these stories, their similarities and differences, tell us about the future use of digital tech? 20 min

PLENARY
Presentation of foresights 10 min
Discussion of foresights presentet 10 min

Keywords: Digital Technologies, Change, Foresight, People

The Closing Ceremony will host a variety of different speakers as well as a performance by Bowdown Dance Academy.

SANORD stands for the Southern African-Nordic Centre, which is an academic
network that promotes collaboration between institutions of higher education and
research in Southern Africa and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Norway, and Sweden).

Regional meetings organized by SANORD typically serve as platforms for academics,
researchers, and other stakeholders to come together, share knowledge, discuss
common challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as
education, research, and capacity building.

These meetings may cover a range of topics relevant to the objectives of SANORD,
including but not limited to:
1. Research collaboration: Sharing updates on ongoing research projects, identifying
potential areas for joint research initiatives, and discussing funding opportunities.
2. Capacity building: Exchanging best practices in teaching and learning methodologies,
curriculum development, and student support services.
3. Institutional cooperation: Exploring opportunities for institutional partnerships, such
as student and staff exchanges, joint degree programs, and joint research centers.
4. Sustainable development: Addressing issues related to sustainable development,
including environmental conservation, social equity, and economic growth.
5. Global challenges: Discussing global challenges such as climate change, public
health, and inequality, and exploring how collaborative efforts between Southern
African and Nordic institutions can contribute to addressing these challenges.

These regional meetings play a crucial role in fostering academic and research
collaboration between institutions in Southern Africa and the Nordic countries,
ultimately contributing to the advancement of knowledge and the development of
sustainable solutions to shared challenges.