Research on women’s access to STEM education points to progress. But are those gains translating into equal opportunities to build careers and lead?
COL’s Women in STEM initiative (WiSE) is examining the gaps behind this question, bringing together researchers, policymakers and civil society to develop solutions that expand opportunities for women across STEM education, employment and leadership.
At a recent workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stakeholders from Brunei, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Gambia and Uganda discussed barriers, shared lessons on more inclusive policy and practice, and identified practical actions to help more women participate, progress and lead in STEM.
Rwanda’s higher education and teacher training institutions are taking important steps towards the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence. Through a collaboration between the Commonwealth of Learning, the Higher Education Council (HEC) and the University of Rwanda, representatives from nine higher education and teacher training institutions have come together in Kigali, Rwanda, for a three-day session to develop and strengthen institutional AI policies and guidelines.
The initiative aims to establish a coherent, future-ready framework that enables institutions to harness AI to improve the quality of education, foster innovation and promote ethical practices. The policies are being developed in alignment with national guidance from HEC as well as regional frameworks from the Inter-University Council for East Africa.
Opening the event, Dr Olivier Habimana, Head of the Department of Digitalisation and Research at HEC, highlighted the importance of clear AI policies and other institutional measures to support the effective integration of AI in education. In his welcoming remarks, Prof Florien Nsanganwimana, Principal of the College of Education at the University of Rwanda, emphasised the critical role of teachers in preparing learners for an AI-enabled future, noting the importance of AI literacy and ethics in supporting students.
This activity forms part of COL’s broader work in AI for Teacher Education work across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. It reflects our commitment to promoting shared learning, locally relevant and collaborative solutions, open educational resources, and the responsible and sustainable integration of AI across education systems.
More than 60 stakeholders from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Togo came together for a recent COL-supported workshop led by the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), hosted at the National Open University of Nigeria.
Focused on quality assurance mechanisms for emerging issues in ODL across West Africa, the session examined how quality assurance can respond to changes shaping open and distance learning, including artificial intelligence, micro-credentials, open educational resources, cross-border provision and the evolving needs of diverse learners.
Watch RETRIDOL's video to hear from participating stakeholders on what institutions and regulators can do to strengthen quality assurance across the region.
Rwanda’s higher education and teacher training institutions are taking important steps towards the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence. Through a collaboration between the Commonwealth of Learning, the Higher Education Council (HEC) and the University of
More than 60 stakeholders from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Togo came together for a recent COL-supported workshop led by the Regional Training and Research Institute for Distance and Open Learning (RETRIDOL), hosted at the National Open University of
