Michigan State University is currently developing an inter-college, multidisciplinary effort to collaborate with African institutions and agencies in capitalizing on existing human resources to address problems of poverty, hunger, health and environment in African rural communities through targeted interventions and applied research. Initially, the focus will be on East Africa.   The Department of Teacher Education at MSU, a national leader in teacher preparation and research on teaching, teacher learning, curriculum, policy, and international education, is seeking one tenure-system associate professor (although other levels might be considered). The education component of this effort will concentrate on improving school community relations, facilitating school to work transitions, helping young people acquire relevant knowledge (especially in applied science and mathematics and especially among vulnerable populations),  and improving the life chances of village youth more generally. This is an academic year position with a negotiable starting date of Fall 2008.

Major responsibilities.  Playing a leadership role in this effort, the responsibilities of the successful candidate will include:  (1) graduate and undergraduate teaching, (2) supervision of doctoral dissertations, and (3) collaborative research publication.

Qualifications.  Candidates are required to have a Ph.D. (or the equivalent) in a relevant field;  research publications commensurate with the opportunities offered by previous positions as well as with  the expected duties and level of this position;  professional experience in formal or informal education; substantial experience working, studying and/or doing research in a developing country (preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa); and in-depth knowledge of international development as applied to education and related fields.  In particular, knowledge of school organizations, school-community relations, curriculum development and professional development for teachers, all in a developing country context, will be important for this position.  Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively with specialists in other fields, and to do interdisciplinary work are also essential.  Preference will also be given to candidates with basic knowledge of one or more of the following fields:  development studies; biological, agricultural and/or environmental sciences; and/or economics.  Applicants with demonstrated ability or high potential to raise additional funds for the work being planned and fluency in at least two of the languages used extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa (e.g. French, English, Swahili, and Portuguese) are also preferred.

Interested candidates should send a letter of application, curriculum vita, and names and contact information for three references. All application materials should be sent in electronic form to the search secretary at ratliff@msu.edu (indicate “International Development Education Search” in the subject line).

Dr. Jack Schwille and Dr. Lynn Paine
Committee Co-Chairs, International Development Education (Africa) Search
c/o Marcia Ratliff, 313 Erickson Hall
Department of Teacher Education
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1034

Please see the College web site (http://www.educ.msu.edu/) for information about the college and this position.   We invite inquiries to any of the search committee members: Jack Schwille (jschwill@msu.edu), Lynn Paine (painel@msu.edu), Chris Wheeler (cwheeler@msu.edu), John Metzler (metzler@msu.edu) or John Kaneene (kaneenej@msu.edu).  Review of applications will begin November 1, 2007 and will continue until the position is filled.  Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. MSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Sustainable Communities Development
Tanzania Partnership Project

Framing Principles

• Contribute to making Tanzanian rural communities more sustainable in their economies, health, education and general well-being
• Pursue this goal through a long-term partnership with development and educational agencies in Tanzania
• Bring the capabilities of the partners in education, health, agriculture, environment and related areas to bear on these issues in an integrated fashion
• Incorporate the on-going findings of current research on the challenges facing target communities (e.g. climate change)
• Give preference to measures which build on the local wisdom of target communities, facilitate/promote a sense of ownership of these efforts and develop capacity for local problem-solving
• Be collaborative and transparent in management of partnership work
• Demonstrate progress through agreed-upon benchmarks
• Disseminate and use the lessons learned in other parts of the world

Long Term Goal

Our goal is to sustainably improve the health and economic livelihood of individuals living in selected rural communities in East Africa. Over 75% of the population in East Africa lives in rural areas and depends on livestock and crop farming, natural rainfall, and firewood for energy. Any significant changes in the environment and climate will affect agriculture and related activities. In long-term collaborations with selected rural communities and academic institutions and agencies in East Africa, we propose to develop and implement effective measures to tackle the negative effects of changes in the environment, which impact land use, the incidence and nature of infectious diseases (in human and animal populations) and the economic development of families in rural communities. Concentrating on these issues as a committed team will positively address the immediate needs of the people in East Africa and prepare the next generation of leaders to meet the continued challenges of climate change.

Approach

We will engage in an integrated, interdisciplinary, collaborative and sustainable community- based approach to these issues. We will integrate our East African based-research findings and experience from other world regions into educational policy, curriculum and practice for young people and adults in relevant biological, agricultural, health and environmental sciences and their applications to pressing problems of East African families and communities. Experience suggests that the effectiveness of curricula in these areas can be enhanced through such strategies as service learning, the use of persons who are more advanced in education and career to mentor young people, new approaches to professional development for teachers, new initiatives in school-community relations, special support services for girls/young women and other vulnerable groups, and other measures to strengthen family support for education. At the same time, interventions and learning opportunities for adults will be developed to address changes in climate and land use in such areas as food and water hygiene, livestock production, disease prevention in humans and livestock, insect control and avoidance, improved environmental management, and improved nutrition. The specific mix of initiatives and activities will be determined and implemented collaboratively with members of the selected communities and partner academic institutions and agencies in East Africa. We will focus on initiatives that enhance the capabilities of the partner communities to solve problems on their own.