The training-through-research project SOFIA - Situated Learning Opportunities fostered by ICT applications in Alternative Agro-Food Networks- aims at enhancing the researcher potential to make broad his horizons and support his career development. In the light of his research objectives he will acquire new knowledge and transfer that one previously developed to the host organization The SOFIA project will allow the ER to became a key facilitator of multidisciplinary research and innovation teams, applying his interdisciplinary competences in service design for innovation, thus ensuring an independent position to the researcher and his future employability in the academic and/or non-academic context. The research SOFIA aims to analyze innovative organizational models and explore the value of the use of ICT tools (e.g. ubiquitous mobile services) to increase Situated Learning Opportunities (SLOs) in an Alternative Agro-Food Networks (AAFNs), through two methodologies i.e multi-case study analysis of local food systems and rural areas and a web-survey of ICT tools for AAFN. The expected impact of the research is to define a set of reproducible methodologies, models, tools and technologies that can improve the competitiveness of a selected area, leveraging its potential in terms of materials and intangible resources. In addition, the study will aim to analyze ICT tools supporting the information flows management both for decision making and for operational processes in the identified collaborative networks. The researcher will carry out specific actions to disseminate project results and increase their fruitful exploitation, e.g.SOFIA’s results will be exploited to draw up guidelines based on innovative organizational models, tools and ICTs to support the dynamics of sustainable development in local food systems and to design and develop Mobile services to support SLOs in AAFNs in order to improve mutual understanding and collaboration between value chain stakeholders.

The aim of University of Gloucestershire is to increase awareness of the opportunities to study overseas and to improve support to the project to enable this. During the length of the project the activities took place included:• Raise awareness of Erasmus+ opportunities to students through: on campus events; updating existing web pages to be more factual outlining Study Abroad webpage; general information sessions open to all students; in-class presentations; presentations by previous students on the benefits of their experiences; the sharing of their experiences via postings on social media platforms and news outlets and; dedicated hard copy promotional materials in every campus helpzone/reception. • Increasing new opportunities for student exchange for studies in new subject areas with English as the medium of instruction • Increase awareness of all the traineeship for student opportunities, e.g. credit bearing/ non-credit bearing and student/graduate. • Developed and improved the processes in the management of Erasmus+ activities • Developed new online application forms and clear instructions on uploading documents to enable the process to reduce the volume of work on the Erasmus and Enquiries Admissions Team. • Clear outline of responsibilities for team members to streamline the process for students for inbound and outbound. • Developed and implemented a clear application cycle for outbound students to improve commitment through interview selection and to fully prepare them for applying earlier in the cycle to reduce last minute applications. • Enhancing the number of partnerships for student exchange of traineeships and to extend collaborative activities with an existing partner in a new subject area. • Working with the Accommodation Team to provide inbound support for students in allocation of rooms in halls of residence. • Continue to review international activities, including the management of Erasmus activities in relation to the internationalisation of UoG and this will be more evident in the next cycle. How did the project perform? • The project performed well in the first part as we saw an increase in applications applying to the project but then this decreased in the second part of the project. The promotion of the project proved challenging as we had limited resource available. The aim will be to increase support in the team to have a dedicated person looking after the administrative part of the project to provide further opportunities for our students to gain valuable experience from overseas experiences and to increase an update of applications as a result of a dedicated member of the team. • The realignment of the Erasmus Team and the creation of a new position to support Erasmus has enabled the team to become more effective in their processes to ensure a smooth application cycle that is more manageable. • The number of outbound student traineeships increased from zero to five in the previous report for this cycle. • The number of staff teaching mobilities decreased slightly to two from the previous project, and our staff visited institutions in Spain and staff mobilities for traineeships decreased to one in Spain. What impact does the Project have on the activities? • Expanding the opportunities for our students to gain valuable work experience and study experience as part of their studies with UoG as a result of our international professional networks. • Raises awareness of our international profile through the sharing of best practice in teaching and specific subject areas, e.g. Health, Media, Business, Computing, Engineering, Sport • Providing overseas opportunities not only for our students but also for our staff to develop their confidence and sharing of best practice whilst also improving their foreign language skills. • To continue to improve processes in place for the management of Erasmus activity at UoG to support and develop opportunities for our staff and students.

In mid January 2012, Cyclone Dando struck southern Africa, leading to widespread heavy rainfall (450-500 mm in 48 hours) & flooding in the Kruger National Park (KNP), eastern South Africa. This flooding occurred just 12 years after the last major catastrophic flooding in the KNP (Jan/Feb 2000), which also caused dramatic river channel & vegetation changes. Using data acquired from light aircraft (photographs, LiDAR) together with field surveying & sediment sampling, this study will exploit a rare opportunity to investigate the flooding, erosion & sedimentation that occurred during the January 2012 event along three rivers in the KNP. The data obtained will be compared with pre-existing data that were collected prior to & following the 2000 flooding in the KNP, & then combined with state-of-the-art computer models to simulate flow characteristics during floods & the longer term response of the rivers to sequences of extreme floods. The aerial, field & modelling results will help to develop new conceptual models of the response of these rivers to extreme events. Such models will have practical application, both for river managers in the KNP & farther afield. Many climate change scenarios predict future increases in the size & frequency of extreme flood events in southern Africa & other dryland regions, & better understanding of the spatial extent of flooding, erosion & sedimentation will contribute to improved flood hazard management & environmental stewardship.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.