Editor
Kabale University, located in Southwestern Uganda’s Kabale District, has launched the “Centre of Competence in Digital Education (C-CoDE),” a significant initiative valued at 40,000 Swiss Francs, equivalent to UGX 175.626 million. The aim of this project is to strengthen digital learning and education in the region.
This collaboration marks Kabale University as one of six universities in Africa partnering with Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Morocco’s Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique. Together, they seek to enhance digital learning and education across the continent.
Named the “Centre of Competence in Digital Education (C-CoDE),” the project was formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed by the involved parties on May 18, 2021. Despite 44 universities in Africa vying for this partnership, only six, including Kabale, were successful.
The other beneficiaries of this collaboration include Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Arusha, Tanzania; Moi University in Kenya; University of Abuja in Nigeria; Ecole Supérieure Multinationale des Télécommunications in Dakar, Senegal; and Université Nangui Abrogoua in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
As part of the “Centre of Competence in Digital Education” project, EPFL has established an E-learning laboratory at Kabale University, equipped with a multimedia studio and state-of-the-art Information Technology (IT) equipment. EPFL has also provided capacity building by training the University’s Information Technology staff in online pedagogical engineering skills, Digital Studio production, Open edX, and online course delivery techniques for professors.
During the project launch, Andres Gomez, an E-learning Specialist from Switzerland, expressed confidence in its successful realization. Robert Tumusiime, senior E-learning Officer at Kabale University, emphasized the lab’s potential to streamline education for students, working professionals seeking further education, and university staff involved in teaching.
Professor Joy Constance Kwesiga, Vice Chancellor of Kabale University, and Dr. Nicholas Thaddeus Kamara, Kabale Municipality MP, highlighted the project’s benefits for learners, particularly primary school teachers mandated by the government to progress to higher grade levels despite limited salaries. They also emphasized how the initiative would empower lecturers to disseminate recorded notes and explanations to students for improved comprehension, especially considering disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brian Masiga, CEO of Renu Mesh, representing Nicholas Mbonimpa, CEO of Research and Education Network for Uganda, as the chief guest, noted the remarkable improvement in the university’s connectivity since partnering with Renu. Masiga expressed confidence that the project would help narrow the digital divide in education and disclosed ongoing efforts to extend connectivity to students and staff off-campus.
