PBL South Asia

Strengthening problem-based learning in South Asian Universities

PBL South Asia develops best practices in problem-based education as a joint initiative between ten universities that are located in Finland, India, Nepal, Bhutan, the Netherlands and Lithuania.

PBL Workshop, IISc Mumbai, Mumbai, India. Photo: Nelson Mota (2019)

The project “Strengthening problem-based learning in South Asian Universities” involves ten different universities, from six different countries: Finland, India, Nepal, Bhutan, the Netherlands and Lithuania. The partner universities will jointly pilot multidisciplinary project courses in South Asian countries. Each year, the project will include three sustainable development challenges selected by the South Asian universities and arising from the needs of surrounding communities. Through the case pilots, teacher training workshops and a methods development platform, the universities will each explore ways to strengthen problem-based learning (PBL) for sustainable development in their curricula.

 The project aims to promote student learning and strengthen university networks to tackle complex societal, economic and environmental challenges. In addition to the technical knowledge related to individual cases, the project aims to build partnership skills and working methods that are sensitive to the interests and requirements of the local environment and communities. 

Students will deal with concrete development problems in peer groups and learn to operate in a multicultural environment. Faculty, on the other hand, will further develop existing teaching methods to build much needed international practice in problem-based teaching models that support local communities. The student projects will involve other actors, such as non-governmental organisations, businesses and local authorities. PBL-South Asia will perform as a catalyser to motivate a new generation of students in creative learning, and to build linkages between university education and the surrounding communities.

Facts

Funder:

European Commission

Programme:

Erasmus + Higher Education – International Capacity Building

Overall budget: € 1.000.000
Grant amount: € 1.000.000 
Grant number: 

2018-2965/001-001

Role TU Delft: 

Associated Partner

Project duration:

15 November 2018 – 15 November 2021

TU Delft researchers:                

Dr. Nelson Mota
Dr. Jan-Carel Diehl

Project partners

Aalto University, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College, Royal University of Bhutan, Delft University of Technology, Sagarmatha Engineering College, Kathmandu University, Asian Institute of Technology and Management, Kaunas University of Technology, Nepal Engineering College, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology

Contact

Dr. Nelson Mota