Knowledge Management and Investing in Human Capacity Development for Aquacultural Education and Training in Africa

Abstract

The rapid growth of the aquaculture industry, whilst driven by emerging market opportunities, has been enabled through developing knowledge and application of new scientific and technological innovations supported by private and public investments. While there are numerous initiatives directed at accessing, managing, documenting, publishing, communicating and disseminating research information and data, the present scale of ‘knowledge management’ is insufficient to achieve wide accessibility and use, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Paradoxically, too much potentially valuable knowledge produced by committed researchers languish in libraries, unused by society; and too many of society’s greatest needs for new knowledge remain relatively unexplored by researchers. In this paper, we review recent initiatives to promote sustainable aquaculture development through improvements in education and training capacity, and innovations in the use of new web-based technologies, with emphasis on use of digital e-learning tools. At the broad level, we present three development trends likely to shape the sector: educating for global competencies; knowledge sharing via use of Web 2.0 technologies and open learning resources; and emerging role of flexible and lifelong learning.The paper also present use of various digital e-learning platform tools and websites that are expected to change aquaculture education and knowledge exchange. Finally, we offer four recommendations to increase aquaculture knowledge exchange and human capacity building in Africa: (1) promote networking and mobility in aquaculture education and research; (2) develop new generic skills and competencies approaches; (3) continued professional development via eLearning and other innovative approaches; and (4) position lifelong learning in aquaculture studies.