University of Helsinki
In Zimbabwe, VITRI is a partner in a forestry project managed by the Zimbabwe AIDS Orphans Society, a Finnish NGO, and its local partner, the Dzikwa Trust; see more at http://www.zim-orvot.org/in_english/
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Representing VITRI, Prof. Olavi Luukkanen (now for the third time) visited the project site at Dzivarasekwa, a township of the city of Harare, and participated in the planning of new tree nursery and agroforestry demonstration site planning activities. Two MSc theses by students from our university have previously been completed in this project as part VITRI activities; currently, Heidi Haavisto, an agroecology student from Viikki, is in the process of doing the same, see Heidi’s blog at http://mangomaa.blogspot.fi/
The small project tree nursery will now start applying state-of-the art seedling production technology developed by the Zimbabwe Tobacco Research Board (see attached picture from .their large-capacity nursery). Olavi Luukkanen also met with the Vice-Chancellor of Bindura University, Prof. Eddie Mwenje (in picture also showing Seppo Ainamo, a driving force behind all these activities); he also led co-supervision sessions for six Bindura students, who are trainees in the forestry project, in their BSc thesis work.
Bindura University now also welcomes University of Helsinki professors and other staff to short-term assignments as teachers in its new Agroforestry MSc Programme, in any relevant subject that could vary from GIS applications, production system development and national and global agroforestry policies to food and nutrition security. BU specifically wants to strengthen its partnerships with other academic and research institutions, including the University of Helsinki.