Hosted at the Nelson Mandela University George Campus, the five-day workshop focused on stakeholder engagement, project planning, governance, and implementation to advance socio-ecological systems education and natural resource management.
Key activities included discussions on sustainability challenges in Southern Africa, alignment of project work packages, development of implementation and quality assurance plans, and a field visit to the Garden Route Biosphere Reserve.
A significant milestone was the signing of the consortium agreement, which formalised the roles and responsibilities of all project partners. Participants highlighted the project's potential to strengthen sustainable education, enhance natural resource management capacity, and promote socio-ecological resilience across the region.
Looking ahead, consortium partners will convene for a curriculum development and capacity-building workshop from 28 September to 02 October 2026 at the UMP Mbombela Campus, followed by the FUTURE21 Student Challenge from 04 – 11 October 2026.
These activities will further strengthen collaboration among project partners while providing students with opportunities to develop innovative solutions to sustainability and environmental management challenges. The workshop concluded with agreement on dissemination strategies, project timelines, and next steps, laying a strong foundation for collaboration and project implementation.
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