Players in the educational sector in Africa have discussed strategies to improve education on the continent.

The Virtual Convening, organized by the Education Collaborative at Ashesi University in Ghana brought together educators together through a mix of workshops, discussions and innovation sessions focused on practical tools for teaching and learning success.

The three-day event is under the theme: ‘Building the capacity of institutions to improve Africa higher-ed outcomes.

It will have a set of arrangements that will bring together administrators, educators, development agencies and employers on one platform to talk about the theme.

The convening will also feature a mix of hands-on workshops, plenaries, panels and innovation sessions designed to spark interest and develop institutions’ capacity to nurture students for successful careers, build entrepreneurship ecosystems, and rethink strategies for inclusive and diverse campus environments.

During the open forum, the Founder of Ashesi Patrick Awuah Jr said, “The benefit that Africa and the world can gain from a growing population will not be automatic. It will depend on productive citizens and the enlightened effective leadership necessary to create an enabling environment on the continent. Developing such citizens and leaders is the business of education,”

“Building and maintaining strong institutions, collaborative action, and the right metrics to evaluate and guide our progress are all necessary for success. We can do the same for African Education—we must do the same for African Education.”

Partners for the 2021 convening include the University of Gondar, Kepler, Centre for Social Innovations, Ghana and Ayenit Alolom. It is free to attend for all interested participants.

The required scale and speed for delivering transformation in higher-ed in Africa are beyond any individual institution's capabilities," shared Rose Dodd, Director of the Education Collaborative.

 "It requires a collaboration between multiple partners and stakeholders, with a shared agenda and dedication to the vision of strengthening higher education outcomes especially for students."

This is the fifth Annual Convening for the Education Collaborative, which was started in 2017 by Ashesi University, as a platform for idea sharing and implementation in African Higher Education.

Over 400 educators are expected to join in the discussions and workshops during the Convening. The Convening will also feature a "Commitment Summit" during which universities can propose and receive grants for implementing projects and ideas conceived during the Convening.

Since 2017, the Education Collaborative has been focused on convening higher education institutions in Africa to collectively and sustainably raise the bar on education outcomes on the continent.

With 34 members currently in the network, the Collaborative has engaged hundreds of educators and stakeholders across Africa in both face-to-face and virtual Convenings.

The Collaborative continues to grow partnerships and collaborations and welcomes conversations from all interested institutions on the continent.