Nairobi/Berlin. The second eLearning Africa conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training closed on Wednesday, May 30, with the total number of 1403 participants, an increase of over seventy percent compared to the inaugural event in 2006. eLearning users , newcomers , providers, and experts from 88 countries spanning all continents gathered during the three confence days at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.
Approximately 73 percent of the participants came from 43 African countries, making it a truly pan-African event. Kenya, the hosting country, had the largest participant group, followed by the Nigerian delegation and big groups from South Africa and Uganda. From Europe, the UK sent the largest contingent. Canada and the USA were also well represented.
The conference was attended by eLearning experts from universities, schools, companies, the health sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged in capacity development and education, government represenatives, as well as from major development bodies. The programme featured the input of 308 speakers from 55 countries, including presentations from major development organisations such as UNESCO, UNEVOC, the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), and the World Bank, as well as national and governmental institutions, mainly from Africa but also from Europe, Asia, and North America.
Bringing together leading experts and practitioners from Africa and beyond, the conference proved to be an ideal opportunity for networking and sharing of experience in the application of technology throughout the learning cycle, from primary and secondary education through to professional development and lifelong learning.
Projects and initiatives from all over Africa were presented, and the agenda featured leading example of how the latest developments in eLearning are being put to work in the service of learners regardless of their location or level of technology. eLearning at school and in medical and public health education featured significantly in this year's agenda, as well as free and open content and the provision of open education resources for all types of training.
UNESCO-UNEVOC, in partnership with the Commonwealth of Learning, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Africa, and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, organised the first African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Summit “Access to and Inclusion in TVET in Africa Through New ICT-Based Solutions”, which attracted more than 120 participants.
“We are very pleased that our ongoing cooperation with a number of African governments has resulted in the active participation of several ministers and senior government representatives at this year’s conference“, comments Rebecca Stromeyer, project manager and managing director of ICWE, “This reflects the strong commitment of African governments towards the deployment of ICTs as a development accelerator in their national educational reform programmes.“
Hosted and chaired by the Hon. Prof. George Saitoti, the first African High-Level Policy Maker and Industry Leader Round Table and Retreat on 28 May 2007 became a milestone in inter-African ministerial collaboration related to African technology-enhanced education programmes. The Round Table endorsed a communiqué comprising three recommendations and a work plan.
The accompanying exhibition at eLearning Africa featured 43 major eLearning and learning technology providers as well as organisations and institutions from the development network. The exhibition at the Jambo conference hall proved to be a vibrant spot for networking and meeting during the three conference days.
eLearning Africa 2008 will take place in Accra, Ghana from May 28 - 30, 2008.
eLearning Africa is a conference organised by ICWE GmbH and Hoffmann & Reif that focuses on ICT for development, education and training in Africa. The event will establish and link a network of decision makers from governments and administrations with universities, schools, governmental and private training providers, industry and important partners in development cooperation. Each year a different African country will serve as the venue.
Notes for editors
eLA – eLearning Africa, 3rd International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training
May 28 – 30, 2008
Venue: Accra, Ghana
Organisers: ICWE GmbH, www.icwe.net, Hoffmann & Reif www.hoffmann-reif.com
Contact: ICWE GmbH, info@elearning-africa.com,
Tel.: +49-30-327 6140
Press Contact
ICWE GmbH
Beate Kleessen
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10625 Berlin
Tel:. +49-30-327 61420
Fax: +49-30-324 9833
beate.kleessen@icwe.net
press-service@icwe.net
www.icwe.net