Global Leadership Training Programme for Sustainable
Development in Africa
31 January – 8 March 2024

Course Overview
This document lays out an 8-module curriculum focusing on Global Leadership Training
Programme for Sustainable Development in Africa offered by UNU-IAS in collaboration withNew York University and the University of Johannesburg, for postgraduate students working
in international development with an interest in Africa. This certificate-bearing institute will
provide an opportunity for participants with wide and diverse interests in Africa andsustainable development studies to learn from African leaders about innovative leadership,democracy, civic engagement and public policy. The online program includes lectures,workshops, resources, and activities prepared by scholars and practitioners in a range offields (e.g., health, education, technology, environmental studies, governance, law/humanrights, NGOs/CSOs) from the public and private sectors across Africa. A variety of online
teaching modalities and resources will help participants consider a variety of leadershipapproaches undertaken across disciplines and fields, and strategies that they employ tostrengthen community and civil society engagement, build and enhance human rights, andcontribute to sustainable development across Africa.
The goals for this program are:▪

Creating opportunities to engage with African leaders across fields and disciplines(health, education, environment, governance, technology, human rights, etc.) tolearn from their leadership skills and understand the strategies they are using topromote sustainable development initiatives, particularly the SDGs.

▪

Building a network of Asian and African and development practitioners (faculty,researchers, staff and graduate students) who might begin to work together in adiverse range of organizations in and across the continent to support and enhance
the SDGs and research priorities.

▪

Creating learning opportunities for all participants to discuss some best practices ingovernance, community mobilization, public management and social innovation;assess their relevance to a range of African contexts; and apply as appropriate.
▪

Building agenda-setting, strategic-planning, and community-engagement skills tobuild ethical, relevant and context-specific development practitioners; develop skills
that further each participant’s professional learning objectives and addresse key
development planning needs.

Course Schedule at a Glance
The course consists of 8 online modules with content provided in an online portal (Moodle).
Each module will include a variety of materials (e.g., topical videos, power points with audio
lectures and relevant readings) that will be available online and downloadable toparticipants. Participants will also meet online approximately three times per week for a 2hour online engagement in a synchronous face to face format led by the co-instructors andwith guest presenters from various countries and industries.
17:00–19:00 in Tokyo (JST)
10:00–12:00 in South Africa (UCT/GMT+2)
All classes meet on Zoom

Tentative Program Overview (subject to change)
Week 1:
31 January

Innovative Leadership and Sustainable Development: SDGs for
AfricaWeek 2:
12,14,16 February

Sustainable Development: Research and New Technologies for
Sustainability

Week 3:19, 21, 23 February

Leadership, Human Rights and Participatory GovernanceWeek 4:6, 8 March

Building Strong, Inclusive and Participatory Communities:
Proposals for the SDGs

This programming draws heavily from the expertise of a range of professionals across theAfrican continent and interdisciplinary development practitioners, combining insights from

experiences in education, health, environmental studies and government. In addition, thesesessions will inform participants about the realities African leaders face leading theirorganizations in various contexts, cultures and countries. While the course is online all faceto-face sessions will be highly interactive and draw on the participants’ and presenters’
experiences, strengths/challenges, and successes in each area in their sector and country.
The goal is for participants to learn from each other as well as from faculty and guest
presenters. In addition to team building, we will introduce concrete skills for development
practitioners to work with and support initiatives that promote civil societies, engaged
communities and flourishing locally sustainable economies.

Program Requirements and Grading
Regular attendance, participation and reading of the materials are expected. Engagementwith discussions during the lectures and on the Moodle discussion board is also expected.
You will be asked to write a 5-page interdisciplinary research concept note/project proposal
drawn from information in the lectures and readings and with input from at least two
professionals in your area of work. You are encouraged to collaborate with other program
members on the concept note/project proposal.
The Certificate of Completion will be based primarily on the following criteria and activities:
1. Participation in all lectures (a minimum of 7 out of 9 sessions are required). Please let us
know if you cannot attend for any reason.
2. Weekly video or written contributions to the discussion board (see the weekly
activities tab in each session).
3. Introduction to/solicit advice from at least two leaders/scholars in your field/from thisprogram on your project proposal.
4. Write a 5-page concept note or project proposal with team members.
5. Present group proposal at the end of the course.

Weekly Themes and Topics (TBC)
1st Week: Introduction to Innovative Leadership and Innovative Development●
January 31: Leadership for Sustainable Development: SDG Agenda for the Continent(Prof. Spreen and Prof. Vally)
2nd Week: Sustainable Development: Research and New Technologies for Sustainability●
February 12: 4IR: Technology and Higher Education Transformation in Africa —Lessons and Challenges (Prof. Marwala, South Africa)●

February 14: African Leadership for Environmental Sustainability (Prof. Philip Osano,Kenya)February 16: Intellectual History and Political Economy of Africa: Land and Peoples(Prof. Natasha Shivji, Tanzania)
3rd Week: Leadership, Human Rights and Participatory Governance●February 19: Human Rights Based Approaches to Development (Hon. Hanif Vally,South Africa)●●February 21: Social Change and Development: Gender, Migration and Sustainable
Livelihoods in the Informal/Formal Sectors (Prof. Faisal Garba and Yao Graham,Ghana)February 23: Rural Development, Environmental Policy and Gender Equality: AFeminist Political Economy Approach (Prof. Hibist Kasa, Ethiopia)

4th Week: Building Strong, Inclusive and Participatory Communities: Proposals for theSDGs● March 6: Participant Group Presentations●March 8: Feedback and Closing/Certificate Celebration