→The eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table
A high-level, inter-governmental meeting on ICT for education, training and skills development, taking place in conjunction with the annual eLearning Africa conference.
For the past years, eLearning Africa has convened the Ministerial Round Table alongside eLearning Africa to provide an open platform to discuss challenges and exchange knowledge about leveraging technology for education, training and skills development.
The goal of the meeting is to facilitate open dialogue and generate practical recommendations that will have real-world impact on policy drafting and implementation.
The 15th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table will take place on May 25, 2023 alongside the eLearning Africa Conference and will address the theme 'Education, Digital Transformation and the 'Youth Bulge'.
Sponsors and Partners
African Governments and, in particular ministers and officials responsible for economic development, technology and education, are at the crossroads of history, facing some fundamental challenges.
These challenges are concentrated in three main areas: the digital economy, the education system and the continent's increasingly youthful population. How ministers respond to them will determine whether or not Africa becomes a 'transformed continent,' putting an end, once and for all, to widespread poverty, disease and conflict. They are at the heart of the African Union's Agenda 2063 vision but, in many countries, they still await the establishment of clear plans of action.
So how can Governments best help bring about the digital transformation of Africa? What more should they do to grow the digital economy? How can they create the right conditions for digital growth? How can a burgeoning digital sector help to transform education and training? How can it spread opportunity, enhance employability and foster economic growth? What structural, organisational and legislative change is needed? How can Governments create a productive dialogue with the private sector? What external help and support is available? What are the leading examples of global best practice?
These questions must be answered in the context of perhaps the greatest challenge of all: how to deal with Africa's 'youth bulge.' Whether the continent's increasingly youthful population represents an economic opportunity or a drain on resources will depend on the decisions ministers and officials take, and the strategies and plans they adopt in the coming months.
Join us at this historic moment for what will be an unmissable ministerial round table meeting.
→ Previous Editions: communiqués & resources
2022
The 14th Ministerial Round Table took place in Kigali, Rwanda on May 11, 2022 and addressed the theme: "Getting Back on Track - Practical Steps towards 2063": A decade ago, in its Agenda 2063, the AU set out its vision of a 'transformed continent' and the various aspirations it had for improvements in the quality of life of ordinary Africans. Since then, Africa and the rest of the world have had to contend with a devastating pandemic. It has interrupted progress and upset plans. It has also created new opportunities. As Africa begins a process of greater integration with the creation of ACFTA, African leaders still face the challenge of rapid technological change and growing, increasingly urban populations. How can they move beyond the pandemic, learn its lessons and get back on track towards 2063?
It was sponsored by
2021
This 13th Ministerial Round Table took place virtually on November 3, 2021 and addressed the theme 'Using Skills-Based Online and Blended Learning to Put Higher Education at the Heart of Your Plan for Economic Growth'.
The coronavirus pandemic has slowed global economic growth and brought some economies to a virtual standstill. At the same time, however, education has been transformed and a new age of opportunity has begun. Modern students, academics and employers increasingly appreciate the benefits of online learning for knowledge transfer and the acquisition of key skills. But how can technology and the use of more blended learning enable higher education to play the leading role in transforming your country's economic prospects? And how can it help a new generation of learners with the skills they'll need to build a thriving economy? The Ministerial Round Table will examine prospects, perspectives and plans for using online and blended learning to maximise Africa's higher education sector.
It was organised in collaboration with
2019
The 12th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table took place in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on October 23rd, 2019 on the theme 'The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Learning, Training, Skills and Investment'. Participants, who included representatives of both African Governments and international organisations, discussed steps that might be taken towards uniting the continent in what could eventually be the world's biggest single market, and creating the right environment for this to happen. The Round Table produced a set of recommendations designed to help Africa prepare itself for the development of an African Continental Free Trade Area.
2018
The 11th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table took place in Kigali, Rwanda on the 26th September 2018 on the theme 'Towards a Knowledge-Based Economy'. The MRT was attended by ICT and Education Ministers from 14 African countries (Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Djibouti, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda) together with invited guests from international organisations.
2017
The 10th eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table took place in Balaclava, Mauritius on the 27th September 2017 on the theme “Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals for Education - How eLearning and Digitalisation can Support Inclusivity, Boost Training and Encourage Skills Development.” The MRT was attended by ICT and Education Ministers from 17 African countries including Cameroon, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Namibia, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe, together with representatives of leading companies and educational institutions.
2016
In 2016, the 9th edition brought together Ministers of Education and ICT from across the continent to focus on African visions and national plans for change and the role of ICT-enhanced learning and training in them. The discussions gave participants both an idea of the scope, scale and variety of change underway in Africa, as well as an understanding of key factors in successful implementation strategies.
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Contact: mrt@elearning-africa.com
Sponsorship & partnership enquiries: marketing@elearning-africa.com
