Business Model for Successful eLearning Centres
Interview with Mehdi Tounsi, Business Development Manager, Gatlin International
 Mehdi Tounsi
 Blended learning certificate courses, covering subjects such as health care, management skills, hospitality, media and design, IT and software development are what eLearning Africa’s silver sponsor Gatlin International offers in its latest African Initiative, together with the World Bank’s Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). The related website is hosted in Tanzania and serves as a model for Gatlin’s approach of fostering autonomously operating and economically successful eLearning centres.
eLA: Mr Tounsi, could you please tell us about Gatlin International and the services you offer?
Global Development Learning Network (GDLN)
Initiated by the World Bank in June 2000, the GDLN is a global partnership of more than 100 learning centres that offer the use of advanced information and communication technologies to people working in development around the world. They achieve this by providing videoconferencing, high-speed Internet resources, and interactive facilitation and learning techniques. Clients include academic institutions offering distance learning courses on development issues; development agencies seeking dialogue with key partners across the globe; government agencies discussing policy with counterparts in other countries; and non-governmental organisations. GDLN coordination teams in the Bank’s regional departments work with affiliates and partners in their respective regions. Furthermore, the Bank provides the Network’s technology backbone through its global communications group. The Bank is also an important client of the Network; the World Bank initiative alone has offered more than 600 courses, seminars and dialogues through GDLN.
www.gdln-tanzania.theelearningcentre.com
Mehdi Tounsi: Gatlin International is the largest provider of eLearning courses available both over the Internet and through eLearning centre outlets around the world. First, we offer access to over 7,000 online courses covering most subjects and which are available in 12 different languages. These courses are accessible through our eLearning centres, which we customise for our partners. Second, we offer a range of in-depth certificate courses, all tutor-led and endorsed by the University of East London. These certificate courses can be accessed directly through our partners’ own websites.
eLA: What is your main emphasis for Africa? When did you start your activities on there?
Mehdi Tounsi: Our main emphasis for Africa is the development of the eLearning centres and making sure that every country in Africa can offer the same facilities in terms of access to e-education. Our commitment to Africa came very early on – I am tempted to say almost as soon as we decided to expand on the international scene.
eLA: Your portfolio includes health care as well as management skills and highly technical qualifications. Which of these topics is in most demand in Africa?
Mehdi Tounsi: I would have to say that management skills and IT skills are the topics that are most discussed in Africa. Our certificate courses are very successful. This is probably due to the fact that, besides being tutor-led and in-depth, they give access to a certification from as prestigious a university as the University of East London.
eLA: Are there any particular interests? What regional or national differences have you experienced so far?
Mehdi Tounsi: Again, management skills, especially those linked to leadership, seem to be a specific interest, which is something we totally appreciate as we need to make sure that the leaders of tomorrow are trained and remain in Africa. Unlike some European countries, in Africa we are benefiting from a real enthusiasm for education and eLearning in particular, and this is beyond regional or national differences.
eLA: Who are your main partners in Africa? How do you interact with them?
Mehdi Tounsi: The Global Developing Learning Network is our main partner in Africa and we have already achieved some very satisfying results, but we are ambitious that we can achieve even more. We also have local partners in different countries and these are great, as they bring their local knowledge and experiences to our venture.
eLA: How can one make sure that a cooperation with an eLearning centre results in a sustainable business model?
Mehdi Tounsi: Our model is unique in that it allows the centre to be self-subsidised through its own promotion and within a very short amount of time, allowing it to be run like a real profit centre. Experience has shown us that we are most active in the early stages when helping set up the centre and doing the right promotion and marketing to get the necessary coverage and users in the centre. But soon enough, our partners prove to have the right entrepreneurship skills and generate enough revenue to be self-sufficient.
As Business Development Manager of Gatlin International LLC, Mehdi Tounsi develops new partnerships and expands content for the world’s largest provider of online workforce development programmes to universities, corporations and governments. Mr Tounsi has more than 14 years of experience in the fields of training and eLearning. Additionally, he is extensively travelled and has a great understanding of cultural challenges. He lives in Lyon, France.
eLA: How do you guarantee that your courses fit the particular needs of the African market? What is your approach to fulfil this task?
Mehdi Tounsi: With a library of over 7,000 courses, there are very few needs that we cannot fulfil and this is not just true for Africa but for the world over. The main focus or trend in Africa is both training the leaders of tomorrow and allowing people to create their own jobs through gaining the right skills. Among the 12 different languages we offer, English and French are the most prominent.
eLA: What future plans do you have regarding the expansion of your activities in Africa?
Mehdi Tounsi: We intend to invest ourselves even further and want to make sure that there is at least one eLearning centre in every country in Africa, from Algiers to Cape Town.
eLA: Mr Tounsi, many thanks for your time!
April 7, 2009
Links:
www.gatlininternational.co.uk
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