IRIS Project Shines in the HDIF Innovation Week, 2019
For the first time, TUDARCo has participated in the innovation week organized by Human Development Innovation Funds (HDIF) with support from UKAid. HDIF organize innovation week in collaborations with other organizations where participants apply to HDIF requesting their organizations to participate in the innovation week. The HDIF select organizations based on the innovative idea they wish to present in the innovation week. This year, the innovation week was organized from 25th – 29th March 2019 and more than 100 companies and institutions applied to participate. Only 50 organizations were selected to participate, and present its innovative idea they have.
In this year, HDIF has partnered with at least 10 organizations namely DIAL, Vodacom Foundation, Dlab, 10 School of TECH, BUNI, SmartLab, Ndoto Hub, Digital Opportunities Trust, Sahara Ventures and St Joseph’s University. There also other event partners who have applied to host events and exhibitions which explored the theme “Scaling and Sustaining Innovation for human development”. Event partners were individuals and organizations from various sectors who volunteer to share insights on innovation in their field of expertise to audiences and collaborators from across sectors. Among the sub-theme of innovation week through which IRIS Project applied and presented its innovation pedagogy model was “scaling and sustaining innovations in education.
TUDARCo and TUAS through IRIS Project designed Innovation pedagogy model called FinTan Innovation Pedagogy. The designed innovation pedagogy model was shared in the HDIF innovation week. FinTan innovation pedagogy model draws insights from the Finnish and Tanzanian innovation pedagogy elements. The idea of FinTan Innovation Pedagogy Model is to activate Higher Education to collaborate with local communities, private and public sector, NGO’s and authorities. The basis of the idea is active learning and teaching methods where real working life is connected to higher education, enabling collaboration across sectors. The Innovation Pedagogy model includes the idea of Reverse Innovation, where small ideas collected from Micro E’s are elaborated in multidisciplinary student teams, in continuous interaction with entrepreneurs and tutor teachers. The collaboration enables the generation of local innovations to meet the local needs and ensures sustainability in Tanzania.
More than 300 people participated in the side event organized on 26th March 2019 at America Corner in the Tanzania National Library (TLSB), presentation of the model and exhibition on 27th and 29th March 2019 at the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH). TUDARCo students have actively presented showcases of the model and explained to audiences their experiences of the model.