IN an exciting development, 25 prominent education technology leaders from across Africa have been chosen for the inaugural HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech Fellowship. This groundbreaking seven-month programme, a collaboration between the Cambridge Partnership for Education and HP, aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to drive impactful educational technology transformations in their respective education systems.
The first cohort of EdTech fellows will focus on enhancing the quality and equity of learning through digital transformation in sub-Saharan Africa. Their goal is to leverage the potential of technology to create inclusive and prosperous societies while equipping young individuals with the skills necessary for their future careers.
Selected from a competitive pool of 400 applicants, the cohort comprises government officials working in education and leaders from private and non-profit EdTech organisations. The fellowship’s comprehensive curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including inclusive EdTech for marginalised groups, the role of artificial intelligence (AI), and digital strategy, policy, and governance. Additionally, the fellows will develop equitable solutions to education system challenges using user-centred design principles while honing their leadership abilities.
Given Africa’s rapid population growth, the impact of these fellows on global education is expected to be substantial. Several senior government officials responsible for national digital education initiatives are among the fellows, aiming to improve learning outcomes for more than 120 million children across countries such as Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.
The programme will commence with online studies in the coming week and will culminate in a residential course at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, in September 2023. Throughout the seven-month duration, fellows will receive personalised coaching sessions to further enhance their capabilities.
Jane Mann, Managing Director of the Cambridge Partnership for Education, expressed her enthusiasm for the inaugural EdTech fellows and recognised their vital role in translating policy into action. She emphasised the importance of fostering healthier EdTech ecosystems that promote grassroots innovations and effectively evaluate and scale them to address current learning crises while bolstering the resilience of education systems for the future.
Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader at HP, highlighted the significance of visionary leaders in unique national contexts and anticipated that this program would pave the way for breakthroughs in EdTech. He emphasised the importance of cross-border discussions and development to overcome various barriers, including infrastructure and curriculum content.
The HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech Fellowship programme was conceived during the AfricanBrains Summit held in Lusaka, Zambia, in 2022. It was developed through a collaborative effort between the Cambridge Partnership for Education, HP, the Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, and Dr. Bjoern Hassler’s team at OpenDevEd, an EdTech specialist NGO.
The selected fellows for the HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech Fellowship are:
Botswana
- Nicodemus Merafhe, chief education officer, Government of Botswana, Ministry of Education & Skills Development, the Department of ICT and Media Services
Eswatini
- Martha Shongwe, chief inspector for Secondary Education, Ministry of Education and Training, Eswatini
Ethiopia
- Dr Zelalem Assefa Azene, chief executive officer (CEO), ICT and Digital Education, Ministry of Education
Ghana
- Catherine Agyapomaa Appiah-Pinkrah, director, General Administration, Ministry of Education
- Akwasi Addae-Boahene, advisor to former Minister, Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning, T-Tel
- Miracule Daniel Gavor, executive director of Ghana Society for Education Technology
- Gyamfi Adwabour, executive director, Center for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling
Kenya
- John Masika, assistant director – TVET Digital Transformation, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
Malawi
- Dr Joshua Valeta, director of Open, Distance and e-Learning, Ministry of Education
Nigeria
- Dr Frances Alimigbe, assistant chief education officer, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria
- Ayodele Odeogbola, co-founder, hybrid learning specialist, TedPrime Support Initiative
- Dr Adetola Salau, political aide to the Executive Governor of Lagos State on Education
- Soji Megbowon, principal education officer/lead researcher, Lagos State Ministry of Education
Rwanda
- Bella Rwigamba, chief digital officer, Ministry of Education
Sierra Leone
- Victor Abu Sesay, director of Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, Government of Sierra Leone
South Africa
- Dr Neo Mothobi, chief education specialist, Ministry of Education
- Roche Mogorosi, chief director – Schools Technology Support Services, Gauteng Department of Education
- Shunmugam Padayachee, deputy director general: Teachers, Education Human Resource and Institutional Development, Department of Basic Education
- Emmanuel Pillay, CEO, iTMaster (PTY) Ltd
As the programme commences, expectations are high regarding the transformative impact these EdTech leaders will have on shaping the future of education in Africa and beyond.
