By Dr. Lydia Radoli, Communication and Visibility Officer FOSTER Project
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Scholars, researchers, and institutional leaders from across Africa and Europe convened in Dar es Salaam between 21–22 April 2026 for the 2nd Consortium Meeting (CM2) of the three-year FOSTER Project, Co-funded by the ‘European Union through the ERASMUS + programme’ under the Capacity Building for Higher Education (CBHE) Action. The project is a flagship initiative aimed at advancing the digital transformation of science in Kenya and Tanzania. The meeting, held at the Council Chamber of the University of Dar es Salaam, brought together a diverse consortium of universities and partner institutions committed to strengthening Open Science (OS) frameworks and collaborative research systems.
The two-day meeting formally opened on Tuesday, 21 April 2026, with a welcoming address delivered by Prof. Nelson Bonface, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Dar es Salaam. Participants used the opportunity to network and engage in insightful sessions on digital transformation and plenary discussions structured around key project work packages.
The engagements focused on dissemination, policy development, infrastructure, and capacity-building efforts within Open Science ecosystems. Deliberations on the first day highlighted national and institutional dissemination campaigns, as well as a detailed dissemination and exploitation report presented under Work Package 5.
Participants also contributed to the development of four essential documents for Open Science institutional policies, indicating a concerted effort to standardize and guide OS adoption within partner universities. Further technical sessions addressed the compilation of Open Science equipment lists and plans for infrastructure development, demonstrating practical steps toward strengthening institutional readiness.
Day two, held on 22 April 2026, shifted focus toward evaluation and forward-looking strategy. Sessions included feedback on financial and implementation documents and presentations on quality assurance and internal evaluation mechanisms. A comprehensive project progress report was also presented, providing insight into achievements and gaps within the consortium’s implementation phase.
A key highlight of the second day was a series of discussions under Work Package 2, where participants examined advanced needs analysis based on benchmark reports, explored findings from surveys on Open Science skills gaps, and reviewed citizen science engagement strategies. These sessions culminated in recommendations to mainstream Open Science at both national and university levels, underscoring the consortium’s commitment to embedding OS practices into policy frameworks and academic systems.
Ms. Grace Mbogo from Daystar University-Kenya and EU FOSTER Project Coordinator speaking during the conclusion of the consortium meeting on 22nd April 2026
Additional technical exchanges included the elaboration of the “Science Shop 2.0” model and guidance on embedding Open Science into formal and informal curricula, reflecting a broader educational transformation agenda. The meeting concluded with a wrap-up session led by Ms. Grace Mbogo, EU FOSTER Project Coordinator from Daystar University, who led members through the operational plan, project deadlines, and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration and institutions commitment.
The consortium meeting drew participation from partner institutions, including P1 – Daystar University (DU), Kenya, P2 – Garissa University (GAU), Kenya, P3 – St. Paul’s University (SPU), Kenya, P4 – University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Tanzania, P5 – Eastern & Southern African Management Institute Nairobi (ESAMI), Tanzania, P6 – International School for Social and Business Studies (ISSBS), Slovenia P7 – University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), Spain, P8 – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), Netherlands, and P9 – The European Policy Development and Research Institute EPDRI, Slovenia who joined online.
Dr. Paul Muneja from UDSM contributes to the discussion at the 2nd partner consortium meeting in Dar es Salaam 22nd April 2026
The diversity of participants reflected the multi-institutional and international scope of the project, with expertise drawn from academia, research policy bodies, and development organizations. Their collective engagement underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration in addressing shared challenges in scientific research, data access, and digital transformation.
As the meeting closed, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing Open Science principles through strengthened policy frameworks, enhanced infrastructure, and integrated training models. The Dar es Salaam meeting marked a significant milestone in the FOSTER project’s journey, laying the groundwork for deeper institutionalization of digital and open science practices across the region.
The Consortium meetings comprise of Institutional Project Coordinator and Co-Coordinator and members from the institutional project management team from each consortium partner. The aim of these meetings is to spearhead the implementation of the Work Package tasks, milestones, and deliverables and to track timely progress.
Within the project implementation one other Consortium Meeting (CM1) has been organized and held, in April 2025 and was hosted at Daystar University in Kenya. Three other Online Consortium Meetings have also been undertaken (Feb 2025, July 2025, Feb 2026). In addition, a couple of monthly online catch-up meetings have also been called for to ensure the team is moving together in terms of collaborative assignments and sharing updates to each other.
