The OU recently played host to Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Higher Education on a visit to Walton Hall to see how the country could develop supported distance learning.
The Kenyan government has prioritised digital learning to improve equity, quality and access to Higher Education and since President William Ruto was elected in August 2022, he has made the establishment of an Open University of Kenya (OUK) a national priority.
Dr Beatrice Inyangala, the Principal Secretary (PS) in charge of higher education at the Ministry of Education in Kenya visited the campus to develop an understanding of the OU’s successful supported distance learning model and explore elements that could be applicable in delivering quality higher education at scale in Kenya.
Areas for potential collaboration were explored, including how the OU might support OUK through expert consultancies; programme, content and platform development; licensing; validation and dual awards.
Visits to XR studios and OpenSTEM Labs helped to highlight the potential for leveraging new innovations and the OU and the Kenyan Ministry of Education are to continue to develop the collaboration, including co-developing new higher education and research programming.
Andrew Law, Director of Business Innovation in the OU’s Business Development Unit, said:
“The Kenyan government has planned an Open University for many years. However, this is the first time we’ve seen concrete plans for implementation and it is great they have a team leader with an in-depth understanding of the challenges involved.
“I hope we can find a way to share expertise so they have the best chance of success in their development over the next few years.”
The visit follows the successful Skills for Prosperity Kenya project, led by the OU’s Institute of Education Technology (IET) and funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Through the project the OU trained selected staff across 37 public universities in Kenya, responding to government demand to build national digital education capacity.
Oli Biard, Global Development Team Programme Manager in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sports, said:
“It is tremendous to already see early impact from the successful completion of the OU’s national digital education capacity building programme for universities in Kenya.
“What universities in Kenya are doing as a result, and the Kenyan government’s vision and ambition in establishing a new national digital Open University is significant and truly impressive. I look forward to following their journey and continuing to explore areas we might collaborate, share, and learn together.”
