eLearning Africa 2014 at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2013

OEB 2013 played host to a large delegation from the Ugandan government, including the State Minister of ICT, Hon Nyombi Thembo, and the State Minister of Education, Hon Dr Kamanda Bataringaya.

The delegation attended to represent and publicise eLearning Africa 2014, which will be hosted by the Ministry of ICT in Kampala, May 28 – 30. This will be the ninth edition of the conference, which travels to a new African nation each year.

eLearning Africa is the largest and most comprehensive knowledge sharing event for technology-enhanced education and training on the African continent. The annual conference is a forum for everyone with an interest in education and training in Africa. The Call for Proposals is open until January 15, 2014, and the organisers are searching for inspirational, innovative speakers to submit presentation ideas under the theme of ‘Opening Frontiers to the Future’.

Hon Nyombi Thembo, Bob Lyazi, of the Uganda Communications Commission, and Edward Ssebukyu, from the Ministry of Education and Sports, contributed presentations to an interesting session in the OEB programme. The session detailed the efforts within Uganda to create a “knowledge society where ICT is central in all spheres of life” and the speakers shared their enthusiastic anticipation for the coming conference in Kampala.

On Friday morning, Hon Nyombi Thembo made a keynote address, explaining the Ugandan government’s prioritisation of ICT as one of the “priority areas for socio-economic transformation”:

“We are all aware of the increasing importance of ICT in the socio-economic transformation and development of society. The world is steadily moving towards a knowledge-based economy … and as such, we have put in place the enabling policy and regulatory environment to facilitate the integration of ICTs into all social and economic activities.”

Going on to speak about the opportunities that hosting eLearning Africa offered Uganda, Hon Nyombi Thembo explained that the conference “brings together major industrial players who share their expertise through discussions and live projects that have impacted and changed the lives of people in different countries”.

The minister finished by warmly inviting the entire OEB audience to eLearning Africa next May and to enjoy all that Uganda, “a beautiful country … endowed with a diversity of culture, nature and wildlife”, has to offer.