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Taking PBL overseas
21 June 2010
Filipe Couto, rector of Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique (UEM), arrived on 3 June in Maastricht for a two-day visit to Maastricht University (UM). The purpose of Couto’s visit was to strengthen the ties and extend cooperation between Maastricht University and UEM.
Having been directly involved in projects with Maastricht University since 2000, Filipe Couto is well acquainted with the university and Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Couto’s cooperation with UM has been aimed at improving higher education in Mozambique, a country where traditional learning methods and theoretical curricula still prevail. Filipe Couto believes that bachelor’s and master’s programmes should equip students with the practical skills and knowledge that enable them to contribute to the development of their country. And that, Couto believes, can be achieved by focusing on competence-based education and PBL.
As rector of the Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), Filipe Couto managed to introduce PBL in all UCM faculties. In 2007, Couto was appointed rector of Eduardo Mondlane University and since then has been striving to change education at UEM, the oldest and largest university in Mozambique. Although there was a lot of resistance at first, Couto managed to convince most UEM faculties to adopt a student-centred approach to learning and is now turning to Maastricht University to speed up this process. Through Mundo, Maastricht University and Eduardo Mondlane University are currently looking into developing and implementing a strategy of student-centred learning.
It was Filipe Couto’s fifth visit to UM. During his two-day visit, Couto met with Prof. Gerard Mols, rector of Maastricht University, Han Aarts, director of Mundo, and with several members of UM faculties. Project development, PBL, teacher training, and cooperation were the main topics on the agenda.
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