Il progetto RUSSADE: Relazioni sud-nord per l'inclusione sociale e ambientale di giovani saheliani

At the beginning of 2015 at the University of Niamey (Niger) was launched the Master's degree in “Food security and environmental sustainability” for young people with a technical degree to let them occupy strategic positions in key structures of civil society in Sahel. This Master is part of the RUSSADE project (Sahelian University Network for food security and environmental sustainability) funded by the ACP-UE cooperation program in higher education Edulink II. The Master involved from the first beginning: teachers from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Italy, Sahelian and Italian NGOs, European and Sahelian Institutions, students from Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Togo. The programs were multidisciplinary, to enhance capabilities for sustainable and fair development in various strategic fields as livestock productions, environmental protection, renewable energy use, food security and safety. Focus of the master was the awareness of links between the different involved areas. The courses and training activities took place in an innovative way, offering an integrated and interdisciplinary handling of the treated themes. For example, in the module: ‘Use of renewable energies’, where the solar (thermic and photovoltaic) and the biomass use were concerned, all the actors participated in an active and shared way, starting from the physical theory until the field applications (e.g. use of the solar cookers and driers, pellettization of the stems). The classroom lessons were led by Sahelian and Italian teachers (in presence or using registered lessons), exchanging didactical programs and experiences both locally and at distance via Skype. Technicians and professionals were involved in field applications and each activity was previously and rear discussed with the students. The ICT permitted to exchange opinions and methodology at distance, but at the mean time the presence of active and effective field activities with the local people built strong relationship between theory and practice. The students are actually performing their stage experience. This experience is important to strength both social and environmental levels. The possibility for young people to discuss with the others outside their country permits them to improve their consciousness and experience, but at the same time it is a way for the people (especially young) abroad to really know what it happens in another far (but so near) country.