One of the main ways the WARM project builds capacity in African partner institutions is through the professional development of academic staff – and this autumn, that work takes centre stage. Between 28 September and 8 October 2026, WARM partners are holding two Study Visits under Task 4.1, bringing European experts together with academic staff from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso.

Sierra Leone – 28 September to 2 October, Mile 91
Hosted by Central University (CUSL) and Njala University, the visit opens with a welcome from the local partners before moving into a four-part staff training programme, led in turn by UEvora, UniBas, Hilo Impact and TUIASI, covering the review and finalisation of the WARM educational products and curriculum. The week also includes field visits to the Bo District Waste Management Department and to Njala University.

Ghana – 4 to 8 October, Tamale
At the University for Development Studies, the programme opens with a consortium meeting and a discussion on the WARM Labs (T5.4), followed by the second leg of the staff training – covering curriculum review, cluster-based presentations, quality checks against national requirements, and the endorsement of the finalised materials. Partners will also visit the Tamale Metropolitan Waste Department, local recycling facilities, the Gbalahi landfill site and neighbouring informal waste management operations, before a closing ceremony wraps up the visit.

Through this exchange, lecturers gain first-hand exposure to different perspectives and practices, working together in an international consortium to get ready for the delivery of the new WARM MSc programmes at their respective universities.