Over three days, from 28 to 30 January 2026, the Institute of Forestry and Sustainable Development (IFS) – Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Thai Nguyen University, in collaboration with the Thai Nguyen Provincial Women’s Union and International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), organized a Training of Trainers (ToT) course on “Participatory Training Methods.”
The training course was delivered by Dr. Pham Thanh Hai and Dr. Nguyen Do Huong Giang, with the participation of 25 trainees, including lecturers and technical staff of the Institute of Forestry and Sustainable Development; leaders and staff of the Thai Nguyen Provincial Women’s Union; and Chairpersons of the Women’s Union from Dong Hy, Tan Ky, Van Lang, Yen Phong, Thanh Thinh, and Hop Thanh communes.
Dr. Pham Thanh Hai together with participants during the training course.
Dr. Nguyen Do Huong Giang and participants engaging in discussions during the training.
The training focused on equipping participants with core knowledge and skills related to participatory training methods, clarifying the role of trainers, and strengthening key facilitation skills such as encouraging discussion, active listening, observation, questioning, and teamwork. Through hands-on activities, participants were able to directly experience and apply participatory training approaches, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of communication, training, and capacity-building activities at the grassroots level.
Within the framework of the training course, participants also took part in a field visit to the Climate Park, where they explored several models integrating biodiversity, livelihoods, and climate change adaptation. This activity helped strengthen the practical relevance of the training and participants’ ability to apply the acquired knowledge in learning processes and future local implementation.
Overview of the Training of Trainers course on participatory training methods.
At the conclusion of the training, participants reviewed, exchanged, and shared the knowledge and experience gained, and jointly discussed and agreed on next steps to scale up and effectively apply participatory training methods in practice. One hundred percent of participants committed to continuing their engagement and proactively developing plans to disseminate the acquired knowledge and skills to students, union members, colleagues, and local stakeholders.
The training course contributed significantly to strengthening the capacity of lecturers and grassroots-level staff in applying modern, learner-centered training approaches.
