By Joseph Mary Buwule
BLANTYRE, MALAWI — Makerere University has stepped up efforts to strengthen regional academic collaboration through Open, Distance and e-Learning (ODeL), with a delegation visiting the University of Malawi to assess progress and explore new opportunities for partnership.
The Makerere delegation, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and comprising Prof. Paul Muyinda and Dr. Godfrey Mayende from the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning, received a warm welcome from their hosts upon arrival in Blantyre.
The visit is focused on discussions with the University of Malawi on opportunities for expanded institutional collaboration and an assessment of progress made under the existing ODeL partnership between the University of Malawi and Astria Learning, within the Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP).
Prof. Nawangwe said the engagement provides an opportunity for the institutions to exchange experiences, assess achievements and identify areas where collaboration can further strengthen digital and flexible learning across Africa.
The partnership comes at a time when universities across the continent are increasingly looking for innovative ways to expand access to higher education without compromising quality.
For Makerere University, ODeL is becoming an important component of its strategy to respond to growing demand for higher education.
According to Prof. Nawangwe, Makerere’s Strategic Plan recognizes ODeL as a key mechanism for expanding access to the university’s highly sought-after quality education.
The approach is expected to enable more learners, including those who may not be able to attend conventional face-to-face programmes, to access university education through flexible learning arrangements.
The engagement in Malawi therefore provides an opportunity for Makerere to learn from the University of Malawi’s experience while also sharing its own expertise in digital and distance education.
The involvement of the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning underscores Makerere’s commitment to strengthening its capacity in technology-enabled education and developing learning models that can serve students beyond the traditional university setting.
The collaboration under the Alliance for African Partnerships also reflects a broader effort to build stronger links among African universities and institutions, with partnerships playing a key role in improving teaching, research, innovation and access to education.
As demand for university education continues to rise across Africa, institutions are increasingly turning to ODeL to overcome geographical and other barriers that limit access to higher education.
The Makerere delegation’s visit to Malawi is consequently expected to contribute to discussions on how African universities can work together to develop sustainable and quality digital learning systems.
The engagements in Blantyre will also provide an opportunity to evaluate the progress of the existing partnership and consider areas for further cooperation between Makerere University, the University of Malawi and other partners involved in the initiative.
For Makerere, the mission reinforces the university’s ambition to use partnerships and technology to widen access to education while maintaining its reputation for quality academic programmes.
The visit is expected to pave the way for deeper collaboration in ODeL and other areas of mutual interest between the two institutions.