Launched in 2017, The Education Collaborative is an Ashesi University-led consortium of African higher education institutions aimed at transforming systems to improve regulatory, institutional and student outcomes of higher education in Africa.
Since its inception, every June, The Education Collaborative has brought together stakeholders of higher education, to share innovations and deliberate on strategies that enhance educational outcomes in Africa.
This year, from June 13-17, 2022, The Education Collaborative held its first in-person Convening since 2020, in Ghana, bringing together over 190 participants from across 23 countries and over 60 higher education institutions. The Education Collaborative also adopted a hybrid format for the 2022 Annual Convening that registered over 200 online participants.
Uganda was represented by 7 Universities namely; Cavendish University Uganda (CUU), Bishop Stuart University, ISBAT University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Gulu University, Uganda Martyrs University and Musizi University.
Cavendish University Uganda was represented by a team of six (6) which consisted of the Executive Director, Mr. David Mutabanura, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr. Olive Sabiiti, the Dean of Socio-Economic Sciences, Dr. Alice Wabule, the Careers and Employability Officer, Mr. Bernard Ochan, the Executive Assistant, Ms. Sandra Nabagereka and a work-study student, Mr. Marcelino Kayombo.
Held across two venues, at Ashesi University in Berekuso, Ghana and the Accra Marriott Hotel in Accra, the Convening was conducted under the theme; “Building the capacity of institutions to improve African higher education outcomes.”
The five-day program, which featured workshops, plenary sessions, an executive symposium, and a commitment summit, was structured across four tracks: Ethics and Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development, Career and Employability System Development, and Entrepreneurship Pedagogy.
The Convening was organised by The Education Collaborative in collaboration with Ashesi University in Ghana, Botho University in Botswana, Strathmore University in Kenya and Riara University in Kenya.
“Coming back in person allowed us to reconnect more closely with members in the network, be hands-on, build deeper relationships, and experience the power of working together to create an education system that supports the development agenda of Africa,” shared Rose Dodd, Director of The Education Collaborative. “And at the same time, taking advantage of the hybrid model, we expanded our reach to other participants who were unable to join us physically.”
Rose Dodd, Director of The Education Collaborative
“Over the years, the growth of the Collaborative, from 25 participants in our first Convening to welcoming over 300 this year, indicated the desire and strong need for connection among educational institutions on the continent,” shared Rose Dodd.
In the years since its founding, The Education Collaborative has engaged over 150 higher education institutions, supported over 280 educators and administrators, and impacted over 116,000 students in Africa. In continuing to scale its impact, the Education Collaborative has adopted a regional hub model anchored on ensuring institutions receive the needed support to reach their goals.
“As a collaborative, we are aware that higher-ed institutions, whether universities or technical or vocational institutions, can push the much-needed human capital to create the development we need on the continent,” shared Lizzie Chongoti, East Africa Regional Hub Director. “While the Annual Convening is an excellent opportunity to drive conversations and initiatives in this regard, we operationalize our work through the different regional hubs to achieve the impact we need; East, West, Francophone, and Central. This way, we can work across the various hubs, and also work within the hubs that we find ourselves in.” Lizzie Chongoti explained.
Lizzie Chongoti, East Africa Regional Hub Director
