Introduction

The Østfold University College of Norway (HIOF) and the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) signed an MoU in April 2019 to jointly run a project called Norway-Zanzibar (NoZa) project. The project is coordinated by the Faculty of Education of HIOF and the School of Education of SUZA.

The overall goal of the project is to influence the student teachers’ understanding of the multicultural classroom in both institutions. The project has three major aims, namely:

  1. to strengthen the future teachers’ intercultural competence through student exchange, joint courses and practical training in a foreign country,
  2. increase the teacher educators’ capacity for inclusive and innovative teaching practices as good role models for future teachers,
  3. to conduct research investigating the relevance of the students’ and staff’s experiences from the mobilities on their understanding of the multicultural classroom.

The project is divided into four work packages which are:

WP1, Student exchange/ joint course/ practical training (Aim 1)

WP2, Capacity building/ innovative and creative approaches to teaching; (Aim 2).

WP3, Research and dissemination (Aim 3)

WP4, Administration and project coordination (Aims 1,2,3)

Student exchange

In 2023 two groups of SUZA students from the School of Education will have an opportunity to visit Ostfold University of Norway. The first group includes four Diploma students, and the second group involves six master’s students. The participating students were selected after submitting their applications and passing the interviews.

The eligible students are those who were enrolled in the following programmes:

  • Diploma in Early Childhood Education
  • Diploma in Inclusive and Special Needs Education
  • Diploma in Physical Education and Sport Sciences
  • Master of Education in Youth, Gender and Development

Selection Criteria:

The selection of the students was based on the following criteria:

  1. The flexibility and the ability of the student to stay in a foreign country.
  2. Ability to secure a passport if offered the opportunity.
  • Basic computer skills
  1. Ability to speak and write English
  2. In order to secure gender equality, female students are encouraged to apply.
  3. Commitment to return to Zanzibar as planned by the project organisers.

Exchange students from Norway

Five students from the Ostfold University of Norway will visit SUZA for 15 weeks during Semester 2 from March 2023. While in Zanzibar, the Norwegian exchange students will take a joint course called Multicultural Pedagogy and learn the Kiswahili language. This course is intended to equip students with the Multicultural competences, abilities, and skills necessary for teaching in a multicultural society and/or classrooms, with the expectation that students would use the learned skills to make positive and constructive contributions to the field of multicultural education. The topics covered in this course include the meaning and various types of multicultural pedagogical practices, the discussion of multicultural fear and differences, and the development of multicultural tolerance.