Reforming forestry education in South Africa

Forestry Educators' Ethics

“Forestry educators have a responsibility to train students to manage land for both current and future generations.

We pledge to practice pedagogies that will develop knowledge and skills in our students to maintain the long-term capacity of the land to provide the variety of materials, uses, and values desired by landowners and society."

– Romi Rancken, Lead of the Climate-Smart Forestry Team, HAMK

Latest News

Pround moment for FOREST21 family as Avelile Cishe a student mentor recieves Award during the NMU graduations. He is pictured here with NMU Forestry Director and the Local Coordinator of FOREST21.

Students testimonials - field work in George/ South Africa

Watch Now

21st Century Climate-Smart Forestry Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in South Africa

About FOREST21

FOREST21 is a joint project for strengthening capacity in South African higher education in forestry. The project is implemented in collaboration of five higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa that have forestry curricula or will start teaching forestry.

Promoting climate-smart forestry and entrepreneurial innovativeness in forestry education will lead to job creation as well as mitigation of climate change. FOREST21 is implemented through reforming the curricula in forestry entrepreneurship education to equip graduates with problem-solving skills, an entrepreneurial mindset and climate-smart thinking.

Problem-based learning (PBL) methods and students-centred teaching are the core of the project. Students learn through solving real-life business challenges in the field in international teams. FOREST21 is built on close collaboration with the industrial sector as well as teachers and the managerial staff in partner HEIs to find the practices in the local context.

FOREST21 is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.

The 4-days workshop from 5th-8th September 2022 at the George Campus of Nelson Mandela University was a success. Through the Forest21 joint project for Strengthening Capacity in South African Higher Education in forestry, it was implemented in collaboration among five higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa that have forestry curricula or will start teaching forestry. The workshop presented an opportunity to engage with leading minds in the sector and was subsequently featured on on national news. The workshop:

contextualized climate change, its implications for the Forest Industry and entrepreneurial opportunities towards improved sustainability.
identified and documented appropriate and viable Student Challenges that can inform revised academic curricula.
find ways to further training of academics in Problem Based Learning, using draft Student Challenges.