A North-South Learning Perspective. Identifying an innovative research research agenda for engagement with marginalised communities.

The collaborative workshops aim to advance education for sustainable-smart development in marginalised communities in Sweden and South Africa to foster sustainable development.

The project will employ a community based participatory action research (CBPAR) methodology to enable collaborative research agenda development relevant to the everyday experiences of the communities targeted in Sweden and South Africa.

The primary research questions is: What are the dimensions of an education for sustainable-Smart Development (ESsD) research agenda applicable to marginalized communities, considering both the global North and global South contexts?

Over two years the project will rely on cycles of reflections, planning, and actions, observation, and further reflections. Four collaborative workshops are planned, involving researchers, post-graduate students and community representatives.

The first will be in Cape Town, South Africa, in April 2025 to scope and plan the project and commence initial data gathering and community engagement. Two workshops in each country are planned for 2026 to finalize project deliverables.

The project aims to develop an ESsD framework to guide curriculum development, interdisciplinary courses, joint research agenda and projects.