Universities in East Africa, both public and private, generate approximately 50,000 graduates annually. Traditionally, these graduates were quickly absorbed into important places of work – in both the public and private sectors. Yet in recent years, the number of graduates has far outstripped the number of career-path positions available in the region. The challenges of this picture are compounded by higher education systems that have seen themselves as helping prepare students to fit into the current needs of government and private sector schemes. Such an understanding of higher education perpetuates a system where graduates fill others’ slots and niches, instead of preparing graduates who will create the future. The typical graduate has been schooled through an education that is often examination-driven and grounded in rote learning. It is imperative that higher education experiences a deep paradigm shift toward one that promotes deep, transformative learning, and graduates that can create themselves and the future of our region.
The 2020 AFELT I-SOLT Conference aims to both demonstrate and document best practices in education that will facilitate graduates capable of creating themselves, the futures of the region, and of solving real world challenges.