The International Institute of Online Education (IIOE), Kenya National Centre was today launched at the University of Nairobi.
Speaking via video link at the event held at University of Nairobi, Principal Secretary (PS) State Department of ICT and Innovation Mr. Jerome Ochieng lauded efforts by The University of Nairobi, living true to their mission of providing quality University Education and Training by embracing a digital transformation.
“Digital Technologies have become the cornerstone of our daily living by spurring economic growth, facilitating trade, bettering efficiency, accessibility and improving the standards of living for millions in our country,” said the PS.
Ochieng noted that through the National Information Communications and Technology Policy of 2019, the government envisions a close interaction between the higher education institutions and industry.
“As a Government, we are proud of the various teams that have enabled the launch of the IIOE Kenya National Centre, that will serve and change the lives and outlook of future generations to come,” said the PS.
Speaking at the event, UoN Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Kiama stated that a partnership with the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) dates back to 2018 with when he visited China.
“We have worked consistently since then and this has resulted in two key initiatives. The IIOE Kenya National Center and The Smart Classroom,” he said.
The VC added that IIOE was established with the aim of accelerating digital transformation in higher education through the provision of a free-of-charge multilingual online education platform, teacher capacity building programmes in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, online and blended pedagogy, and STEM online courses through a network of higher education institutions.
UoN Chancellor Dr. Vijoo Rattansi stated that the launch of the Smart Classroom is a classical success story of Public Private Partnership and a show of the strength of strong academia- industry collaboration.
She noted that the smart classroom concept provides a shift from online learning dependent on print to one that is purely digital. The key benefits of digital learning include; personalized education and high engagement especially when gaming is used to propel education.
By Mike Mulinge and Abdiaziz Mohamed
