PROGRAMME ON INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION (PIE)

A DISRUPTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME AND INITIATIVE FOR AFRICA

INTRODUCTION

Internationalization of Schools, Universities and research organizations is the biggest term in use in the international education circles. In a global village like the world is today, internationalization of education and research is a crucial engine that drives international competitiveness and ultimately economic and social revolutions. Developing an internationalization agenda for a school, university and research organisations and its authorities under PIE has the following benefits:

  1. Developing its brand, profile and relevance both nationally and internationally and establish international partnership with reputable institutions overseas.
  2. Increasing extensive independent revenue generation streams for the schools, university and the successful sourcing, application and winning of international research grants and funding.
  3. Increase its interaction and engagement with the private sector and governance for sustainable and impactful applied-focused education, training and research.
  4. Delivering social, economic, academic and spiritual impacts of international standards on its students for consequent impacts on national economies.
  5. Developing a graduate portfolio that is employable in any part of the world due to uniformity in competence and acquired skills.
  6. To analyze the huge potential of the African market and the strategy for an African school, university or research institution to develop its profile and relevance to take advantage of this huge market. 

OVERVIEW

According to The Africa Competitiveness Report put together by the World Economic Forum, The World Bank and The African Development Bank, there is a growing international attention focused on Africa as an investment destination and mounting talk of an African economic renaissance. The report emphasized the enthusiasm in global players driven by ten years of increased strong growth in Africa amidst the global economic crises that other continents of the world have faced. With over a billion people and averaging growth rates of over 5 percent in the last decade, it is a business destination of immense potentials. It is therefore important for an African University to view and develop its research and innovation profile and relevance to be able to take advantage of the growing African market and this is one of the objectives of this programme.

Yearly, managers, directors and administrators of African Universities strive to develop their skills and capacity to be able to bridge the competence gaps in their universities and this is one of the fundamental roles of Vice Chancellors and University managements. One of the biggest challenges facing African Universities is funding and this has become the priority need of all. However, in an era where there is an increase in the numbers and sources of international research grants focused on Africa, African institutions still struggle to align themselves with these research and innovation funding opportunities and even lack the capacity and institutional skills to source, apply for and win these sorts of grants. This is a crucial aspect that this programme would deliver on.  

In most African countries, Public Universities depend wholly on federal government who now struggle to fund them; they don’t speak with private sector folks who can potentially fund them; personal consulting is huge but secret so institutions benefit nothing; they don’t recruit overseas students who can give more in tuition that may then impact on research funding; MoUs that can attract research funding gather dusts on shelves; access to increasing international research grants is a struggle; and when they apply for research and innovation grants, proposals are poor; delivering short professional courses for revenue is an alien concept; investing in research-driven distance learning and exploiting the huge potential for distance learning is still unclear and problematic. The situation is not so much different in private Universities either. PIE aims to address sustainable ways of developing alternative sustainable funding for African Universities which can be integrated into research and innovation.  

For different African institutions, overseas trips are crucial for exposure, international experiences and keeping abreast with new global models in research management and administration. Most of these visits leads to the development of Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs), signed between African Universities and overseas university. However, research shows that while different African Universities have several MOUs signed with overseas Universities, most of these MOUs remain unused and gather dust on shelves. It requires the right knowledge, expertise, skills and resources to activate and operationalize these MOUs for increased collaborative research and innovation and this is another objective of PIE.

Finally, one of the biggest challenges with African Universities is the huge gap between academia and research and the private sector/industry and government. By geographical and operational disposition, African universities and research organizations seem cut off from industry and this has affected its relevance, capacity to produce high quality research with impact, employable graduates and also the capacity to produce innovative goods and services that solves practical challenges in the society. The world patents map below shows this clearly with African almost unrepresented in the patents map globally.

Currently, global models show that African Universities can be ‘anchors’ in co-designing and supporting research-driven eco-innovation partnerships with the businesses which ultimately deliver “sustainable solutions”.  Second, they can play the key role in delivering the high level (graduate/post-graduate) skills that are essential to drive forward eco-innovative policies, products and services. However, exploiting the power of universities to drive African research and eco-innovation will require significant capacity building to bridge the current, very significant gap between academia and industry in Africa.  This is a significant component of the PIE initiative.  

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

  • To expose senior management of schools, further and higher institutions to new and innovative education management models in the secondary and tertiary education sector and the process of developing a robust and effective internationalization policy, strategy and plans.
  • To empower participants with vital information, resource and knowledge on how to align their institutions structures, framework and operations to increasing international collaboration and partnership and how to develop and operationalize Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) with international partners.
  • To learn about the models of bridging the gaps between academia, research and industry to be able to increase their economic impact through quality teaching, research, alternative funding streams and employability of students.
  • To learn about the availability of specific international funding for collaborative teaching partnerships and research projects and programmes and how to access and align themselves to winning them.
  • To learn about the different innovations and technologies that increases the efficiency of administration of schools, Universities and higher institution organisations systems including ICT, Mobile, Social Media, etc
  • To learn how to tap into the growing opportunities in Africa and how to internationalize their operations and strategies to take advantage of these opportunities.
  • To provide a networking platform by way of visitations and tours to relevant UK organizations and institutions for strategic partnerships for continuous capacity building and trans-national education programmes including  Study tours, exchange programmes, Split-Site PhDs, Summer Schools etc.

TARGET AUDIENCE

  • Vice Chancellors, Pro-Vice Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts and Principals of Universities, Colleges, Polytechnics and Directors of Research, Directors of Distance learning and Directors of Students
  • Bursars, Registrars, Deans and HODS, Directors of Research, Distance Learning, Students and Careers and Administrators of Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges.
  • Lecturers, academics, administrators, researchers, middle and early career researchers
  • Proprietors, Schools Owners, Heads Teachers, Principals, Teachers, Educators, Education Agents, School Administrators etc
  • Corporate Organizations, government agencies and non-governmental agencies.
  • Students, Graduates and professionals
PROGRAMME FOR INTERNATIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION (PIE) SEGMENTS There are five main segments of the PIE Initiative and these include:
  1. PIE DISTANCE LEARNING – These are a series of distance learning courses designed and developed by reputable international partners for capacity building and continuous professional development of academics and educators in secondary and tertiary education. There are also a wide range of programmes developed for professionals and government officials. Check out the partner platform – flexylearn.com
  • Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) developed and delivered by the University of London and UCL Institute of Education London for teachers and proprietors.
  • Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Global MBA
  • Post Graduate certificate, Post graduate Diploma and Masters degree in Environmental Management
  • There are a range of 30 different distance learning programmes for professionals from different sectors in Kenya delivered by top UK Universities partners including University of London, UCL Institute of Education, University of Derby, University of Law, London School of Business and Finance, Lancaster University etc
  1. PIE FORUM OF LEADERS IN SCHOOLS AND HIGHER INSTITUTIONS – This is a forum to be held in different countries where all the leaders of schools and higher institutions are gathered to be briefed on the extensive benefits and process of PIE as an initiative.
  2. PIE STUDY AND PARTNERSHIP TOUR – This is a specialized tour proposed to take place in the United Kingdom and other African countries designed for the leaders in secondary and tertiary education This is a five day UK tour which will include meetings, discussions and visitations to a list of profiled strategic partners, collaborative discussions with funders and academic institutions for cooperation.
  3. PIE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME– This is a series of four days executive leadership programmes organized for different principal, principals, directors of secondary and tertiary education where they all exposed to the different models of internationalization under the Programme for Internationalization of Education (PIE). These executive masterclasses would be delivered in different strategic locations which include Kenya, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, South Africa, Angola, United Kingdom etc
These include the following Sub-programmes:
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Proprietors and School Heads
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Bursars and Financial Officers of Higher Institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Directors of Research of Higher institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Deans & Heads of Department of Higher Institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Registrars of Higher Institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Librarians of Higher Institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Directors of Partnerships and International Programmes of Higher Institutions
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Directors of Distance Learning
  • Executive Leadership Programme on Internationalization for Directors of Students and Careers
  • Executive Leadership Programme for Educators, Academics and Researchers
  1. PIE GRADUATE ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME FOR AFRICA (GEPA) – a special programme for students, young graduates and young professionals.
Africa’s rapidly increasing population of youth is projected to be over 830 million by 2050 (UNDP, 2017), with an average age of youth population estimated to be 25 years of age by 2046, making up nearly half of the population of many African countries in the next three to five decades. Currently, Africa has nearly 420 million young people but more than 140 million are unemployed and another 140 million are vulnerably employed (African Development Bank, 2018). The growing spate of youth unemployment is conceivably an indication of failure to make good use of Africa’s greatest human resource for economic growth and productivity. Therefore GEPA aims to provide strong support for African students through the tenets of the international best seller book – The Graduate Code, written by Dr Akanimo Odon. It would include a book tour, delivering of seminars and workshops in different Universities in Kenya, promotion of the Graduate Code book and the  Graduate Code Online Course