Targeting Sustainability Goals in South Africa and Senegal: Evidence and Tools from the MASSTER Project

This paper illustrates the theoretical framework, the methodological approach, and the primary findings of a project titled MASSTER (Managing(South)Africa-and-Senegal-Sustainability-Targets-through-Economic-diversification-of-Rural-areas), in which higher educational institutions (HEIs) and organizations from Senegal, South Africa, and Europe collaborate with the aim of addressing the nexus between migration, agriculture and development in Sub-Saharan Africa by co-creating evidence-based training, tools, and actions to foster development and co-development while targeting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Zero-hunger, Good-Health-and-Wellbeing, Gender-Equality, Quality-education, Decent-work-and-economic-growth, Responsible-consumption-and-production, all within the frame of Partnership-for-the-Goals. The MASSTER project employs a transdisciplinary and bottom-up approach based on a cross-sectional study conducted in South Africa and Senegal to identify actual challenges, needs, and resources from farmers (n = 737) and students enrolled in agricultural courses (n = 1.013). Findings underpinned the co-creation of the primary project outcomes: training on agritourism development, farm management, income-generating activities, climate change resilience, and food value chain; toolkits designed to boost the adoption of the Whole of Society Approach and to strengthen cooperation between HEIs and local communities; MASSTER Student-and-alumni-tracking-procedure-with-early-warning-mechanism-for-brain-drain; and a MOOC on critical-thinking-and-empowerment. The MASSTER project can have a relevant impact at local and international levels, providing evidence-based tools to be used by HEIs, stakeholders/policymakers, and the scientific community to actively foster development and co-development.

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Journal
Sustainability
Published
2026-07-22
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/su18147503
Primary Topic
Sustainability in Higher Education
Type
article
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article

Targeting Sustainability Goals in South Africa and Senegal: Evidence and Tools from the MASSTER Project

Maryna Karpenko, Bamol Ali Sow, R. Corli Witthuhn, El Abdoul Aziz Ndiaye et al.
Sustainability
Sustainability in Higher Education
article

Targeting Sustainability Goals in South Africa and Senegal: Evidence and Tools from the MASSTER Project

Maryna Karpenko, Bamol Ali Sow, R. Corli Witthuhn, El Abdoul Aziz Ndiaye, Federica Vallone, Marko Stojanović, Pascal François Mbissane Faye, Ousmane Basse, Fidelia Ibekwe-Sanjuan, Michael Tröster, César Bassène, Grany Mmatsatsi Senyolo, Bohani Mtileni, Elhadji Omar Ndao, Ousmane Thiaré, Tshifhiwa Constance Nangammbi, Ngor Ndour, H.J. Stander, Jan Willem Swanepoel, Maria Clelia Zurlo, Dragan Brković, Khalifa Serigne Babacar Sylla, Saïdou Nourou Sall, Martina Marolda, Yaya Badji, Predrag Stamenković, Tlangelani Nghondzweni, Djordje Miltenović, Noé Schmidt, Manuel Jackson, Dragan Stojanović, Adama Djiba, Sanja Kovačević, Silvana Gaudino, Michele Carstens, Jelena Nastić-Stojanović
article en

Abstract

This paper illustrates the theoretical framework, the methodological approach, and the primary findings of a project titled MASSTER (Managing(South)Africa-and-Senegal-Sustainability-Targets-through-Economic-diversification-of-Rural-areas), in which higher educational institutions (HEIs) and organizations from Senegal, South Africa, and Europe collaborate with the aim of addressing the nexus between migration, agriculture and development in Sub-Saharan Africa by co-creating evidence-based training, tools, and actions to foster development and co-development while targeting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Zero-hunger, Good-Health-and-Wellbeing, Gender-Equality, Quality-education, Decent-work-and-economic-growth, Responsible-consumption-and-production, all within the frame of Partnership-for-the-Goals. The MASSTER project employs a transdisciplinary and bottom-up approach based on a cross-sectional study conducted in South Africa and Senegal to identify actual challenges, needs, and resources from farmers (n = 737) and students enrolled in agricultural courses (n = 1.013). Findings underpinned the co-creation of the primary project outcomes: training on agritourism development, farm management, income-generating activities, climate change resilience, and food value chain; toolkits designed to boost the adoption of the Whole of Society Approach and to strengthen cooperation between HEIs and local communities; MASSTER Student-and-alumni-tracking-procedure-with-early-warning-mechanism-for-brain-drain; and a MOOC on critical-thinking-and-empowerment. The MASSTER project can have a relevant impact at local and international levels, providing evidence-based tools to be used by HEIs, stakeholders/policymakers, and the scientific community to actively foster development and co-development.

SustainabilityVol. 18(14)
Université Gaston Berger (SN), Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (RS), Tshwane University of Technology (ZA), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Stellenbosch University (ZA), University of the Free State (ZA), Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (DE), Ziguinchor University (SN), Université du Sine Saloum El-Hâdj Ibrahima NIASS (SN), Federico II University Hospital (IT), Arheološki Institut (RS), University of Naples Federico II (IT)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Sustainability in Higher Education
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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