Page 34 - AERC Strategic Plan 2 July2020

THE AERC 2020–2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

be undertaken for the CMAP elective courses in the third year of implementation of the
strategy, with full implementation of the blended learning in the fourth and fifth years. A
well-designed and implemented blended-learning approach to delivery of the CMAP and
CMAAE has the potential to increase significantly the duration and quality of networking
among students and faculty members, while also supporting cost-effective sharing of
resources, including academic expertise across the Consortium as presented in Chart 3.

Chart 3: The AERC Blended Learning Management System

Learning
Home University Management System JFE/SFSE Face-to-
Face-to-Face Course (Online) Face Course Delivery
Delivery
» Elective Course » Visiting Lecturers
» Local Lecturers Modules » JFE/SFSE Students
» Local Students » Lectures » Elective Courses at

» Core and Elective » Discussion Forums JFE/SFSE
Courses
» E-library

Expanded access to AERC courses and electronic resources by lecturers and students

Implementation of blended learning will be complemented by an e-library that will
facilitate offsite access to reference materials, journals, and e-books by CMAP, CMAAE,
CPP, and Bridge Programme students, lecturers, and AERC researchers.

The CPP will integrate CMAAE graduates to build a pool of highly qualified agricultural
economists in addition to those integrated with CMAP. Core courses will be offered at
respective CPP host degree-awarding universities alongside other CPP students. A full-
scale process of developing a set of agricultural and natural-resource elective courses will
be mounted and included within the CPP curriculum to take care of the needs of students
seeking to specialize in Agricultural Economics. A model will be explored for developing
capabilities in current CMAAE universities to teach and supervise at the doctoral level.

The quality marking system will involve two- to three-year cycles of assessment of
curricula, pedagogy, and teaching standards as well as supporting financial and
administrative infrastructure for effective delivery of economics training at the
collaborating universities.

The potential risks may possibly lie with: (i) the financial constraints of supporting
the ever-increasing demand for graduate training, due to possible shifting priorities of

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