New methods in education
From Living Labs to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and tailor-made webinars to design-sprint hackathons, networks from academia, research, industry, and civil society are developing innovative opportunities to attract, develop and empower individuals to transform food systems of the future.
SPECIFIC R&I BREAKTHROUGH TOPICS
New models for education: The rise of personalised learning models, do-it-yourself opportunities, and interactive learning experiences accounts for the variety of people interested in learning about food systems. Multi-stakeholder platforms and initiatives that bring together higher education institutions, research and training centres, and food companies are increasingly offering cross-disciplinary programmes, including MOOCs, Summer Schools, and dedicated study programmes. Students and professionals can bridge fragmented skills and knowledge of food systems, while future entrepreneurs can learn how to investigate relevant case studies and initiate plans for joint business ventures, supply chain innovation and commercialisation.
Awareness of food systems: These emerging education opportunities focus on empowerment: Raising awareness of the required changes in food systems. They equip key audiences with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to play a role in food systems transformation. Education in food system thinking enables key players to understand the societal, environmental and economic demands arising from different food value chain sectors. It also helps them to identify the full range of intervention strategies available, from technologies and market development to social innovation and adaptive governance regimes. They can also evaluate the interventions and leverage points where there is an established evidence base demonstrating the likely impact of specific actions. Living Labs, linking citizens with policy makers, scientists, industry representatives and civil society organisations, represent innovative examples of a new hybrid format for competence-building in this area.
Innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour: Education providers are increasingly focusing on closing the gap between scientific expertise in the agri-food sector and business skills relevant to reaching the market, allowing the practical application of research models and the full absorption of disruptive ideas. Dynamic partnerships between scientists and managers are at the core of efforts to catalyse food entrepreneurship – a channel to foster knowledge, innovation, and greater societal engagement. Hackathons, events designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs, find solutions to pressing challenges in the food system and facilitate meeting like-minded peers. These are examples of new methods to promote and accelerate knowledge and innovation transfer between research, business, and public authorities.
Guidance to Start Ups and SMEs, new models of collaboration and impact: New education methods allow agri-food start-ups to benefit from business cccelerators and innovation initiatives, including mentoring programmes held in partnership with established companies, and matching exercises with businesses offering complementary services. Targeted training in innovation capabilities can help SMEs to overcome existing skill gaps and thus unlock untapped market opportunities.
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