SIDA projects

Within the framework of Sida Research Training Partnership Programme, the Faculty of Librarianship, Information, Education and IT is involved in three five-year Sida financed research cooperation programmes in Rwanda, Uganda and Mozambique.

Sida supports research capacity building and systems for research with the aim to create sustainable and self-generating research environments. The support should be of relevance for poverty reduction and sustainable development.

University of Rwanda

The Sida supported cooperation with the University of Rwanda started in 2013. Here, the Swedish School of Library and Information Science together with the library at Blekinge Tekniska Högskola (BTH), in partnership with the University of Rwanda Library, support the development of the university library. As the programme was extended in 2019, the library services of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, took over the role of the BTH. The project includes various forms of staff capacity building and competence-enhancing activities and support. Aiming at self reliance and at being a fully research driven university, three university library staff have been selected to pursue research studies at the University of Borås, out of which one has graduated.

Makerere University in Uganda

The second Sida cooperation started in 2015, with the East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS) at Makerere University in Uganda. This project is focused on research culture, research education, research environment, publication and curriculum development. Eight PhD students in Library and Information at Makerere University are given supervision by representatives of the Swedish School of Library and information Science.

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Mozambique

The third project, the cooperation with the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique, is focused on university libraries and started in 2018. As part of the staff capacity building, six librarians were selected to master's studies at the Swedish School of Library and Information Science. One of these students has then been admitted to PhD studies in library and information science at the University of Borås. Besides staff capacity building in fields relevant for library development, the partners are engaged in curriculum development for a master's programme in library and information science at the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. The BTH library is an active partner in this cooperation.