UNESCO-ICHEI Partners with IUCEA to Launch AI Training
On March 7, 2025, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) jointly hosted an online "Workshop to Launch the Training of Trainers for Academic Staff on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Teaching, Learning, and Research." This initiative uses the "Training of Trainers" (ToT) model and aims to empower local higher education professionals in East Africa, enabling them to become leaders in the digital transformation of higher education; this initiative also seeks to continuously enhance the digital competencies of East African higher education professionals, while fostering educational innovation and sustainable development.
With financial support from IUCEA, 17 higher education professional trainers from six East African countries participated in the training. UNESCO-ICHEI leverages its extensive course resources available on its International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) platform to assist trainers in enhancing their AI-related skills. Moving forward, IUCEA and UNESCO-ICHEI will engage in a long-term partnership to promote AI and digital transformation of regional higher education institutions (HEIs).
Part of the workshop participants
Professor Idris A. Rai, Deputy Executive Secretary of IUCEA, emphasised the importance of AI in the development of higher education in East Africa in his opening remarks. He pointed out that AI is profoundly transforming global higher education, underscoring the urgent need to develop higher education professionals' AI competencies in this rapidly evolving landscape. He acknowledged the IIOE platform and the extensive training resources provided by UNESCO-ICHEI, expressing hope that this training would foster a deeper partnership between IUCEA and UNESCO-ICHEI and promote the widespread application of AI in teaching, learning, and research across HEIs in East Africa.
Professor Idris A. Rai, Deputy Executive Secretary, IUCEA
Professor Michael Mawa, Quality Assurance and Qualifications Framework Senior Principal at IUCEA, introduced the functions of IUCEA and its role in regional higher education development. He also provided a detailed explanation of the training initiative. He stated that today's training represents the first phase of a three-phase plan, marking the official launch of AI capacity-building programme in East African HEIs. This initial phase is conducted online, focusing on equipping higher education professional trainers with the skills to effectively utilise AI training resources provided by the UNESCO-ICHEI, particularly with the IIOE platform and Micro-certification courses. The second phase will be conducted offline, where participating trainers will tailor-select course contents for the teaching, administrative, and research needs of East African HEI professionals, based on regional educational requirements and AI development trends. They will also collaborate to prepare selected resources and organisational plans for future large-scale online training. The third phase will target a broader audience of academic, teaching, and administrative staff across East African HEIs, further expanding the reach of AI capacity-building through online training and comprehensively enhancing the AI literacy of higher education professionals.
Professor Michael Mawa, Senior Principal, Quality Assurance and Qualifications Framework, IUCEA
Mr. Zian CAO, Chief (a.i.) of the Global Partnership and Programme Office at UNESCO-ICHEI, introduced UNESCO-ICHEI's long-term commitment to the digital transformation of higher education. He highlighted how the IIOE platform provides global universities with open educational resources and AI capacity-building support. He shared that the IIOE platform currently offers 9 AI courses and plans to launch a series of "AI + Disciplines" courses, aimed at helping HEI professionals understand the applications of AI across various disciplines. Ms. YUAN Xin, Programme Officer at the Global Partnership and Programme Office, provided a detailed introduction about UNESCO-ICHEI's work in knowledge production, capacity building, technical support and information sharing. Ms. Lan YANG, IIOE Management Centre Programme Officer, focused on the usage of the IIOE platform and provided insights into existing Micro-certification courses, webinars, and other educational resources available on the platform. Mr. Yifan XU, IIOE Course Product Manager, provided a detailed explanation of the platform's Micro-certification courses related to AI, including course outlines and recommended learning pathways.
Group photo of UNESCO-ICHEI
About the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA)
The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), established in 1970 and headquartered in Kampala, Uganda, is a key institution under the East African Community (EAC). It aims to enhance the quality and impact of higher education through regional collaboration. As a leader in regional higher education cooperation, IUCEA serves 146 partner institutions across six member countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. By strengthening collaboration among HEIs in East Africa and fostering partnerships between East African HEIs and institutions globally, IUCEA has created an open and inclusive platform for academic exchange, significantly elevating the standard of higher education in the region. In 2009, IUCEA was formally integrated into the legal framework of the EAC, becoming one of its strategic institutions and further solidifying its leadership role in the development of regional higher education.
