The Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO), Iberoamerican University Foundation (FUNIBER) university network, is pleased to announce the approval of its project “Simulation based training and digital technologies combined with service-learning approach for experiential and reflective learning in nutrition and dietetic education (MAHINE)”, an international collaborative project funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) program, in which the Universidade Internacional do Cuanza (International University of Cuanza, UNIC) also participates.
Through the use of digital innovation, service-learning techniques, and simulation-based education, the project seeks to improve the practical training of aspiring dietitians in Angola.
The MAHINE project, coordinated by UNEATLANTICO, combines digital technology and simulation-based training with a service-learning approach for experiential and reflective learning in nutrition and dietetics education and brings together institutions from Angola, Italy, and Spain; with the help of Angolan NGOs and provincial healthcare organizations, the initiative has a diversified partnership that includes the Universidade Internacionale do Cuanza (UNIC), the Universidade José Eduardo dos Santos (UJES) from Angola and the Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM) from Italy. The proposal is supported by the Angolan Embassy in Spain.
The project addresses important issues currently facing the health and education sectors in Angola. These include high rates of food insecurity, lack of qualified nutritionists, and limited opportunities for dietetics and nutrition students to gain practical experience. MAHINE aims to respond to these demands by creating an innovative and experience-based training approach that complements national development objectives and the European Union’s health and education agendas.
The creation of a digital learning infrastructure, including multimedia case studies, a virtual laboratory with AI-assisted virtual patients, and tools for student self-reflection, is at the core of the MAHINE project. At the same time, a service-learning platform will be developed to help students interact with local communities, offering hands-on nutritional instruction and encouraging higher education institutions to be socially responsible. Angolan teachers will be trained to support this integrated strategy, which will be tested with UNIC and UJES students.
UNEATLANTICO’s longstanding dedication to global cooperation, digital education and public health is reflected in the MAHINE project. The project aims to create a scalable and sustainable paradigm for the training of nutritionists that can be adopted by universities throughout Angola and possibly extended to other regions, fostering closer collaboration between European and African schools.
By supporting equitable education, human development and digital transformation in sub-Saharan Africa, this project also supports the strategic objective of the Erasmus+ program. It enables the expansion and reuse of effective digital learning resources, building on the results of previous initiatives coordinated by UNEATLANTICO, such as CLINICALSIM and E+DIETing_LAB.
The project team is looking forward to informing the university community about progress and making a significant impact on healthcare education and outcomes in Angola.
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