Capacity development programmes

Lund University is a world-class university that works to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition. We offer a wide range of capacity development programmes to strengthen companies, professional organisations, authorities and individuals to achieve their own and global development initiatives, including the UN's Agenda 2030.

Three participants of the programme interacting. Photo. — From the programme ’Innovation in Governance for Urban Nature-based Solutions’. Photo: Johan Persson.

Empowering individuals, organisations and societies

Capacity development is the process through which individuals, organisations, and societies obtain, strengthen, and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own development objectives over time. Universities around the world have an important role in this development, where education and research can contribute to the reduction of poverty, increased equality, participation and democracy as well as economic development.

Lund University has long supported capacity development in many forms, including by partnering with universities in developing countries, sponsoring student and teacher exchanges, and participating in cross-national research collaborations. Not least, the Department of Commissioned Education (LUCE) has coordinated contract education programmes with partners like The Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swedish Institute (SI).

Through these programmes, LUCE has become experts in managing and coordinating advanced capacity development programmes with an interdisciplinary approach and special focus on capacity development and organisational development.

Mutual exchange

Our capacity development programmes produce a range of benefits, not only for the participants and the countries and institutions they represent but also for Sweden and Lund University. Such effects include active networks and partnerships around specific initiatives. New avenues for research have also become available, including new ideas, new collaborators, and new opportunities for collecting data and material. We have also been able to increase the quality of the education we offer, of which we are very proud!