June 27, 2016

PhD Induction in Harare: International Group is joining Trans4m-Da Vinci Program

A new group of eight, highly driven international change agents has enrolled in the Trans4m Da Vinci Phd Program and met in Harare, Zimbabwe for a four day induction into the PhD program and process.

The group was made up of three Zimbabweans (Wellington Mutyanda, Chipo Ndudzo, Smart Phiri Zongololo), two Nigerians (Olugbenga Awe, Sister Esther Shebi), one South African (Dr. Emil Nothnagel) one Jordanian (Laila Abdul-Majeed) and one Canadian, based in the UK, (Franceska Jones). Each one of them joined the program with the ambition to make a fundamental, integral contribution to his or her field – in theory and in practice.

The induction put particular emphasis on introducing participants to the overall process (4 C: Call, Context, Co-Creation and Contribution) as well as to Trans4m’s CARE trajectory. In this opening four days, the inner and outer calling of participants took pride of place – as well as a first intimation of their envisioned research-to-innovations.

The callings of participants spanned fields as diverse as Local Economic Development in South Africa, Integral Healing and Community Development in Northern Nigeria, Agriculture-based Integral Banking in Nigeria, Enterprise-Community Agricultural-Economic Development in Zimbabwe, Telecommunication for Rural Development in Zimbabwe, Co-creating an Integral Enterprise in Zimbabwe, Integral Education in Jordan, and Consciousness Development in Enterprise and Industry in the UK.

For the first time, the induction to the Trans4m Da Vinci PhD program took place in Harare. The workshop was organized in close cooperation with Trans4m’s local Center in Zimbabwe, the Pundutso Center for Integral Development. Members of Pundutso helped not only to ground this induction in Zimbabwe and Africa, but also shared with the new participants key learnings from their own journey.

The Induction began with the new group joining the academic VIVA of Andrew Nyambayo in Harare, followed by the CARE presentation of Nyambayo in the rural community of Domboshawa. Right after the induction, all participants joined a public workshop, organised by Pundutso and Trans4m, on “Integral Business Strategies in Turbulent Times” – enabling them to interact with over 80 senior business leaders from Zimbabwe.