NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE: UNIVERSITIES PARTNERING FOR CHANGE (2023-2026)
Participants countries: Norway, Poland, Tanzania, Zambia
Project description
Among the most important factors in supporting teaching, learning and research are the higher education institutions’ (HEI) libraries and librarians. Librarians are considered to be change agents and facilitators in teaching, learning and research. To be able to meet the needs of library users, librarians must have adequate competencies to effectively manage and use learning management systems, academic databases, digital teaching platforms, institutional repositories, and communication technologies; they have to master the usage of different social media applications that support the provision of library services. This has become more apparent in the COVID age.
Project goal
The main aim of this project is to utilize the partnership between universities in Zambia, Tanzania, Poland, and Norway to enhance HEI information services support by developing libraries’ ICT infrastructure and librarians’ digital competencies.
The specific objectives of the project are as follows:
The primary target groups are the HEI-librarians and LIS-students in Zambia and Tanzania. Further target beneficiaries are all students and faculty members (including those with fewer opportunities) working in the noted countries.
Working Packages (WPs)
WP 1: Digital Literacy Assessment
WP 2: Education and research support
WP 3: Inclusion and Equity
WP 4: Infrastructural capacity
WP 5: Blended Mobility
WP 6: Dissemination and sustainability
WP 7: Project management and coordination
The Team
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Manager of WP1)
Kelefa Mwantimwa, Professor in the Information Studies Unit at the University of Dar es Salaam
Elias Mwabungulu, Assistant lecturer for the Information Studies Unit of the University of Dar es Salaam
Evans Wema, Senior Lecturer in the Information Studies Unit at the University of Dar es Salaam
Sokoine Agricultural University, Tanzania (Manager of WP2)
Wulystan Pius Mtega, Associate Professor at the Department of Informatics and Information Technology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania
Andrew W. Malekani, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Informatics and Information Technology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania
Ronard Bernard Tarimo, Lecturer at the Department of Informatics and Information Technology, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania
University of Zambia, Zambia (Manager of WP3)
Christine W. Kanyengo, Senior Librarian at the University of Zambia (UNZA)
Mercy Wamunyima, Acting Head of Medical Library at the University of Zambia School of Medicine
Francina Makondo, Deputy University Librarian at the University of Zambia (UNZA)
University of Barotseland, Zambia (Manager of WP4)
Greg Kwalombota Mubita, Dean of the School of Humanities and social development at the University of Barotseland
Namatama Ng`angu, Librarian at the University of Barotseland
Kaywala Mulonda, University of Barotseland
Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway (Manager of WP5)
Jamie Johnston, Associate Professor at the Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), and Adjunct Professor at the University of Iceland
Idunn Bøyum, Associate Professor at the Department of Archivistics, Library and Information Science at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet)
Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland (Manager of WP6)
Sabina Cisek, professor and the head of the Institute of Information Studies at Jagiellonian University
Marek Deja, assistant professor at the Institute of Information Studies, Jagiellonian University
Dorota Rak, researcher and assistant professor at the Institute of Information Studies at the Jagiellonian University and a certified Design Thinking moderator
Magdalena Wójcik, professor and the head of the Institute of Information Studies at Jagiellonian University
Magdalena Zych, Institute of Information Studies, Jagiellonian University
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway (Manager of WP7 & Project Coordinator)
Elin Opheim, Academic Librarian at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Mahmood Khosrowjerdi, Senior Academic Librarian at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences