Africa Virtual University - AVU

In a move designed to provide African students with greater access to higher-education opportunities, the African Virtual University (AVU), in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), has launched Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centres in 10 African countries.

Institutions that have launched centres to-date include the University of Zimbabwe, University of Zambia, Jimma University in Ethiopia, Kyambogo University in Uganda and Open University of Tanzania. Launches at the following institutions are scheduled to take place in the coming months: Universidade Pedagogica in Mozambique, University of Nairobi in Kenya, Universite Chiek Anta Diop (UCAD) in Senegal, Universite Antananarivo in Madagascar, and Amoud University in Somalia.

The centers will enable more universities to mainstream eLearning into their existing curricula and create a communities of peers that will generate original research on eLearning methodologies. The centers will also help universities generate a long-term and sustainable revenue base.

The new centers expand AVU’s network, which now has over 50 eLearning Centres that have been set up within the framework of the AfDB-funded AVU Multinational Project. The centers will act as physical hub for the creation, organization and sharing of knowledge and the development of elearning programs. Additionally, they will serve as:

• A facility for training staff in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the development, delivery and management of eLearning
• A delivery point for the current and future ODeL programs (e.g. the Teacher Education Program)
• A physical location where staff are able to conduct research and participate in collaborative work in ODeL
• A revenue source that will contribute to each university's long-term sustainability

This initiative marks another milestone for AVU, which was originally established to address the digital divide by helping Africa overcome geographic, technological, political and financial obstacles that often hindered students’ access to higher-education. Since its inception in 1997, AVU has pioneered an innovative learning platform, the AVU Learning Architecture, designed specifically to adapt eLearning to the unique African context. In the last decade, AVU has also established the largest network of eLearning institutions in Sub Saharan Africa in over 27 countries.