Rwanda, one of Africa’s most technologically ambitious countries is set to host e-Learning Africa next year and the organizers are predicting the biggest conference in the event’s 13-year history.
E-learning Africa 2018 will take place from 26 – 28 September in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali, which has gained a reputation for its ICT-based initiatives in a variety of sectors.
The conference, which is being jointly organized by the International Conference on Web Engineering (ICWE)GmbH and the Rwanda Convention Bureau under the patronage of the Rwandan Government, usually attracts well over 1,000 participants from all over the world.
Participants are not only teachers, academics and learning experts, but also political leaders, policy makers, investors, technologists, business leaders and entrepreneurs too. The conference is also the occasion for an annual round table meeting of African education and technology ministers.
The Conference will allow other countries a glimpse on the achievements of an African Government, which has set about using technology to transform education. In 2014, the Government signed an agreement to incorporate information and communication technology into the country’s schools and colleges.
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Rwanda’s new system of teaching emphasizes the use of computers and internet to impart knowledge and its impact can be felt across the country. The Government projects that by 2020 all schools in the country will have at least two smart classrooms and all subjects will have been digitized.
In addition to its technological prowess, Kigali is also one of Africa’s most attractive cities and the participants will be able to take advantage of its bustling streets, ridges, valleys, and lush hillsides, not to mention Rwanda’s world renowned Gorilla trekking tours, only a short journey away.
“It is wonderful that Rwanda is now setting a real example for other countries in technology-assisted learning and hosting a conference whose theme is ‘Uniting Africa’, says conference organizer, Rebecca Stromeyer. ‘I am confident that E-Learning Africa 2018 in Rwanda will be the biggest and most exciting eLA yet.”
The theme is touted to inspire a discourse on how the benefits of technology can be shared and help to improve education across Africa, making a reality of the African Union’s 2063 Vision of a ‘transformed continent.’
The organizers are looking for contributions on subjects including ‘creating opportunities through education,’ ‘boosting competitiveness and ICT-centric growth,’ ‘matching skills demand and supply,’ and ‘overcoming barriers.’ A call for papers has been issued and will remain open until 30 January 2018.
Rwanda is set also to take over the Chairmanship of the African Union.
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