Transforming higher education for social change in East Africa: improving employability and business creation through targeted, scalable interventions

Gaspard Banyankimbona, Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa, launched the discussion, emphasising the importance of the issues being considered and the timeliness of the event. [...] “Could we use innovative teaching and learning methods… change the mindset of our university management, lecturers and students, and in the process, definitely serve the needs of our youth and the immediate community, in our surroundings?” Working with the JAGs, university teams looked at their existing teaching practices, and considered the structures and pedagogies needed to foster critical thin. [...] There was a specific concern to ensure learning was gender-responsive, and this led faculty – both men and women – to recognise the need to apply a gender lens to teaching and learning, including inclusiveness of language, classroom management and interaction, the way students were organised in the classroom, and the learning activities that were used. [...] But the transformation in the classroom also meant that the lecturers themselves should be willing to participate, because we know that teaching for innovation requires investment of the person is its time and attitude into wanting to focus on the learning of the students much more than just the delivery of what it is that they already know.” Dr. [...] “The engagement with the members from the industry and the community really opened our eyes because it helped me to discover the skills that are really needed in the world of work.” We were fortunate to hear from Dr Darius Ogutu, Director for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, Kenya.