Development of Higher Education and Technology Research in Angola
Excerpts from the project presentation document
Presentation of the ESR-T Angola Project
1 “... The ESR-T ANGOLA project thus aims to continue this work (FSP, MESI), building on and capitalizing on this first master’s program, while also establishing a second program at another partner institution, the Institut Supérieur Polytechnique de Technologies et Sciences (ISPTEC). The goal is to achieve sufficiently diverse and convincing results within two years to guide a national policy regarding all ESC institutions.”
2 “ … Work has begun on the need to create new content, develop teaching methods, closely involve businesses, include genuine entrepreneurship training, and position the program as a complement to and support for the incubation schemes currently under development. The new MInESC master’s program will therefore operate under a work-study model that is new to Angola, and will focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, and more specifically on digital production systems engineering (Enterprise 4.0).”
3 “ … The ESR-T ANGOLA project will drive the evolution of the ESC system in the field of technology by developing a model specific to Angola based on experimentation, sustainability, and spin-offs, leading to the establishment of a comprehensive sector that will foster entrepreneurship and innovative solutions. This sector is in fact crucially necessary to address, through technology, Angola’s current challenges in areas such as industrial production, water treatment, waste management, energy management, mobility, and health.”
Logic Chart
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Overall objective: To develop a model for technical training that can be applied across the entire ESR-T system in Angola. |
Results 1 Launch of a new intake for the Master's in Industrial Systems Engineering (MESI). 2 Creation of the Master's Program in Digital Production Systems Engineering (MInESC). 3 Manual for the Implementation of Master’s Programs at ESR-T. |
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Sub-Objective 1 (Component 1): Develop an ecosystem of training, entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship |
Results 1.1 A strong and sustainable governance structure has been established. 1.2 Operational procedures (processes) are auditable. |
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Sub-Objective 1 Activities 1.1. Facilitate dialogue among all stakeholders: establish a governance framework and build or strengthen partnerships between academic institutions, businesses, and business incubators. 1.2. Structure the work-study program through partnerships with companies and support the MESCTI in developing the regulatory framework. 1.3. Organize a scholarship award system, making the system already in place for MESI more reliable and ensuring the smooth operation of the award process. |
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Sub-Objective 2 (Component 2): Develop work-related training opportunities |
Results 2.1 There are two master's programs in Technology, one of which is offered on a rotating basis. 2.2 Two teams of 10 to 15 trained Angolan teachers. 2.3 A quality assurance system applicable to both master's programs and auditable programs. |
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Activities for Sub-Objective 2 2.1. Increase the number of master’s programs: Launch the second cohort of the Master’s in Industrial Systems Engineering (MESI) at UAN-Luanda, and expand the Master’s in Digital Production Systems Engineering (MInESC) at ISPTEC-Luanda. 2.2. Strengthening Angolan teachers’ research teams: Training Angolan teachers, organizing doctoral studies for master’s degree holders, and working within a network of teachers. 2.3. Sustain the system in order to expand it: establish a quality approach based on process control and improvement, and organize communication to raise awareness of and demonstrate the system’s effectiveness. |
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Sub-Objective 3 (Component 3): Development of a technological culture and dissemination of best practices |
Results 3.1 The swarm manual has been approved and distributed. 3.2 The UAN Fablab is equipped with the equipment specified for Phase 2 (electronics, microelectronics). 3.3 Angolan teams participate in the 24-Hour Innovation Challenge every year. 3.4 In 2021, the “Innovation Days” (3 or 4 days) will be launched in conjunction with UTBM’s “CrunchTime.” 3.5 The France-Angola Technology Conference was held in 2020 and 2021. |
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Activities under Sub-Objective 3 3.1. Building on existing resources: Create a handbook for the spin-off of the Master’s in Technology program, test it in the Master’s in Creation program, refine it, and disseminate it (published by MESCTI) 2. Develop open collaboration platforms: Develop the UAN Fablab, open it up to external partners, and carry out activities in a multidisciplinary environment (engineering sciences and humanities and social sciences). 3.3. Organize and/or participate in national and international events: participate in the 24-Hour Innovation Challenge, increasing the number of participants each year; create the “Innovation Days” following the example of what is done at UTBM; and continue the “France-Angola Technology Conference.” |
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Sub-Objective 4 (Component 4): Project Management |
Results 4.1 Regular minutes of the Technical Committee meetings, distributed to all partners involved. 4.2 Annual reports from the Steering Committee, distributed to all participating partners and submitted to the Department. 4.3 Final project report and evaluation, approved by the Steering Committee before being submitted to MESCTI and the Department. |
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Activities under Sub-Objective 4 4.1. Monitoring and Implementation: Establishment of a six-member Strategic Steering Committee, coordinated by the French Embassy. Establishment of the Technical Committee, a forum for discussion and sharing of information on the progress of each component of the project. Committee meetings are held according to the established schedule, and decisions are implemented. 4.2 Communication: Updating internal digital communication tools (Moodle and Trello) and external ones (blog, social media). Publicizing events to the Angolan print and broadcast media and promoting major scientific culture events. 4.3. Overall evaluation of the project: preparation of a final report coordinated by the steering committee with external experts. Holding of a closing conference. |
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Mainstreaming gender issues
ESR-T ANGOLA will adopt proactive measures to promote access to technology education for female students, implementing targeted outreach to undergraduate programs where potential candidates can be identified. This outreach will feature images of young female engineers. Initially, it is assumed that the percentage of female students will vary between the two master’s programs: the MESI program, focused on production and maintenance, will likely have few female students, while the Master’s in Digital Production Systems Engineering (Enterprise 4.0), which is heavily focused on innovation, design, and entrepreneurship, may reach 50%. Gender parity will be sought in the awarding of scholarships by partners, and a voluntary gender diversity policy will be implemented on campus and at events related to the training programs (Fablab and 24H de l’Innovation, for which gender diversity in teams will be mandatory). Finally, measures to support entrepreneurship will include specific support dedicated to female entrepreneurs emerging among young graduates.
Special provisions for young people
With a focus on higher education and its opportunities, ESR-T ANGOLA will also contribute to raising awareness and promoting technological literacy among young people. As part of a broader effort to improve the secondary education system, these initiatives will also foster interests that can be developed into higher education projects, thereby supporting the training sector targeted by this project. In accordance with the Fablab charter, the charter developed by ESR-T ANGOLA will remain open to the public and, therefore, to associations and secondary schools that require the services offered. Partnerships will be established with Eiffel secondary schools and nearby public secondary schools, covering teacher training and the use of equipment, particularly 3D printers. Finally, during events such as the 24-hour innovation challenge for high school students, they will be integrated into the ESR-T ANGOLA teams on an equal footing.
Management, monitoring, and evaluation
The Steering Committee and the Technical Committee will meet twice a year (four meetings per year) and will be convened by the French Embassy.
The Steering Committee will be responsible for the overall coordination of the project, ensuring that each of the actions carried out contributes to the creation of an ESR-T ecosystem in Angola, and that the expected synergies between public and private stakeholders help achieve the ultimate objective. It will be responsible for the initial validation of the action’s progress chart and monitoring indicators. It will coordinate the final evaluation of the project, which will be entrusted to a team consisting of the educational and scientific director and a specifically appointed external expert. It will also ensure that the final deliverables are well-structured, particularly a practical swarming manual and a basic guidance document for the creation of a national channel by the MESCTI.
The Technical Committee will serve as a forum for discussion and information-sharing regarding the progress of each project component, pooling practices, and the implementation of new synergies that may arise during the course of the project. Composed of all stakeholders involved in specific actions, it will also be tasked with promoting and communicating the project within each of the sectors it represents.
Proposal for the creation of committees
The six-member strategic steering committee will be coordinated by the French Embassy (Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Action, Thierry VALENTIN, and VIA ESR, Justine FURTADO), with the support of the two National Directors involved in MESCTI (Jone Heitor SEBASTIAO and Emmanuel CATUMBELA), representing the Minister), the President of the Club des Entrepreneurs Franco-Angolais (CEFA) (Luis LIBERATO), and the local educational and scientific coordinator (Jean-Pierre CALISTE, Professor Emeritus at UTC).
The expanded technical committee of 14 members will consist of the members of the steering committee, representatives of the two Angolan institutions involved, the Director of the National Institute for Scholarships (INAGBE), the three companies providing the main funding (the CEO of TOTAL, Academia SONANGOL, CASTEL, or their representatives), the AFD Director for Angola, and the Expertise France representative for the PAES project. This committee may decide to open its membership to other members from time to time, notably including representatives of French institutions during their expert assessment or monitoring missions.
At the end of the project:
- The ESR-T ANGOLA track is in place and has been tested; that is, two teams of Angolan faculty members have been established and trained and are now qualified to teach the course units for each of the two master’s programs—MESI and MInESC—as outlined in the curricula. Furthermore, the partnerships between Angolan and French faculty members are well-established and effective;
- A business model for the master’s program has been established to cover the costs associated with its implementation, including expenses related to collaboration among teaching teams, funded by budgets from supporting institutions; tuition fees paid by students; a system of public and private scholarships; and additional contributions from applied research projects funded by companies;
- A total of 60 students have joined the program: 30 students from the second MESI cohort are about to graduate and have a job lined up or plan to start their own business; 30 students from the MInESC cohort are developing innovative projects and are integrated into support structures (Fablabs and incubators);
- Management of the sector is structured at all levels (quality system and reference system for spin-offs);
- All project documents are organized and accessible;
- MESCTI is working to roll out the model nationwide, and this expansion involves other partner universities (French and Angolan) in other cities across the country.
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