b'The Pulte InstituteforGlobal DevelopmentHigher Ed Innovation Ecosystems Shape Problem-Solvers in the Global SouthSHARE research has identified food security as a criticaland ways to contribute to the innovation space, Tom opportunity for innovation and growth among higher learningPurekal, program director for Innovation and Practice for the institutions in middle- and low-income countries. Pulte Institute, said.The HEIGHTS (Higher Education Institutions Generating HolisticThe role of higher education, in all its forms, is pivotal to and Transferable Solutions) Innovation Ecosystems researchunlocking the potential of young people in the low- and effort in Indonesia, Kenya, and the Philippines focuses on waysmiddle-income countries to address the challenges they to strengthen opportunities for post-secondary formation inface. The research conducted by HEIGHTS supports the middle- and low-income countries. Work to inform contenthealth and relevance of these educational offeringsand focus and direction for student learning in and out of thethe institutions that provide themin the coming decades.classroom at colleges, universities and training centers pointed researchers to the issue of food security. Equipped with deeperBy 2050, there will be an estimated one billion young knowledge and skills to support problem-solving that addressespeople in Africa alone. So how do we find opportunities hunger, students will be empowered to fight this crisis. for that population to hone their skill sets so they are able to become as productive and high capacity as they can? A lot of these colleges and universities are being pulled in thatPurekal asked.direction, so we talk about possible innovationEngagement with Local Partners Creates Opportunities for StudentsAt the heart of SHAREs work around the world is collaboration with researchers and decision-makers in the communities the findings are intended to serve. One of the things thats unique about SHARE is that we put our local partners forward as the hands and boots on the ground executing and contextualizing this research within the communities, Andrea McMerty-Brummer, associate director of innovation and practice for the Pulte Institute, said.These relationships are foundational to SHAREs effective ecosystem engagement, an approach that involves local partners in every aspect of study designfrom prioritizing research questions to implementation and the validation of findings.Its really about making sure that research is relevant to the local stakeholder community, actionable and primed for uptakeStudents in Cambodia participate during data collection for the LIBROS in the local ecosystem, McMerty-Brummer said. multi-country study to improve education outcomes by identifying gaps in the book supply chain.3533 | 2023-24 Annual Review'