On May 8th, Anthology hosted its largest event in Africa to date, featuring keynotes from industry professionals, tech updates from Anthology’s product team, and a host of peer-driven discussions. Attended by over 80 education leaders from 19 countries, the event explored how technology is proactively transforming education in Africa.

We sat down with Nicolas Albouze, regional vice president of Anthology in Africa, to discuss the key themes of the event and the future of technology in higher education in Africa.

Anthology: Good morning Nicolas, and thank you for joining us. We’d like to start by asking about the recent Innovate & Educate Africa event hosted by Anthology. It sounds like it was quite the success!

Nicolas Albouze: Thank you, yes; it was an incredible event that brought together education leaders from across Africa to discuss the transformative power of technology in education. One of the key highlights was the diverse range of perspectives shared by our attendees and presenters.

As an example, Malcolm Murray from Durham University in the UK travelled to Johannesburg to be at the event. He shared stories of Durham’s 20-year partnership with Anthology, and how their use of its Blackboard Learn learning management system is making tangible impacts on their students and educators alike. This emphasis on real-world applications resonated deeply with the audience and sparked valuable discussions on the future of digital learning in Africa.

However, one of the biggest highlights of the event was seeing the education community come together; a community that can talk to each other, lean on each other, and learn from each other, a core objective for Anthology.

Anthology: Could you share further highlights from the event?

Nicolas Albouze: We had some insightful speakers who covered a variety of topics, from the impact of transitioning to Blackboard Learn Ultra to the importance of soft skills in today's job market. Professor Ramneek Ahluwalia of Higher Health gave a presentation on the significance of soft skills, underscoring the evolving nature of employment and the need for adaptable skill sets. This resonated with attendees and prompted valuable discussion on how educational institutions can better prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce.

Additionally, our discussions on the role of AI in education sparked a robust debate on its potential benefits and challenges, highlighting the need for ethical AI integration and data privacy safeguards.

Other highlights included Detken Scheepers, head of learning at University of Pretoria, who spoke about the importance of focusing on staff development as a fundamental aspect of driving success with technology projects; Herve Marchet from AWS spoke about scaling the pace of growth we see across the continent, and how important reliable IT is to sustain it; and Zanele Njapha, founder and CEO of UnLearners, gave a very inspiring talk about the need to ensure we are supporting ourselves and the need to be happy and well in order to be successful in what we’re doing.

Anthology: It's fascinating how technology is shaping the future of education in Africa. Can you elaborate on Anthology's role in this transformation?

Nicolas Albouze: Anthology is uniquely positioned to support large-scale changes in education across Africa. By providing integrated solutions like learning management systems, student information systems, and customer relationship management solutions, we're breaking down silos and promoting a holistic approach to education. Our focus on ethical practices, AI integration, and data privacy further distinguishes us in the market.

Most countries in Africa maintain a centralised approach to education, wanting change for the entire region, rather than just a few individual institutions. With more than 25 years of partnering with African institutions, Anthology has a unique position to support education departments, ministries, and governments in large-scale change. The added value of providing the main solutions they will need in an integrated way removes the silos prevalent in the industry for such a long time.

For example, as one of the founding members of the Global Education Coalition, our partnership with UNESCO underscores our commitment to leveraging technology for social good. Through the pandemic, it became clear that there would be 1.5 billion learners that wouldn’t have access to education. We helped to generate a number of projects to support many communities, through initiatives like training thousands of teachers to transition to digital environments.

Anthology: The EdTech landscape seems to be evolving rapidly. What trends are you observing?

Nicolas Albouze: One major trend is the increasing adoption of AI in education. While it presents challenges, such as cultural adaptation and data privacy concerns, it also offers tremendous opportunities to enhance learning experiences. AI has capabilities such as using facial expressions to rate your level of consciousness during a virtual meeting, and machine learning can interpret the level of meaningfulness in a forum. This may seem scary, but if used in the right way, it can be very advantageous and bring about positive change.

Anthology is the first major LMS company to bring AI to the market. We have been very deliberate in our approach to AI. The lawful, ethical, and responsible use of AI is our key priority. In discussion with colleagues, the question arises frequently: Is AI bringing more complexity or is AI helping to simplify things? And I think in the case of Africa, AI definitely simplifies things and is helping to accelerate the transformation.

Additionally, the rise of social media and the consolidation of individual schools into larger networks are shaping the digital landscape in Africa.

For instance, the proliferation of mobile-first platforms underscores the importance of accessibility and user-centric design in EdTech solutions.

As we navigate these trends, it's crucial to remain vigilant about ethical considerations and ensure that technology serves the needs of all learners, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Anthology: Looking ahead, what excites you the most about the future of education in Africa?

Nicolas Albouze: What’s particularly exciting for Africa is that the future presents a fresh start for eLearning. More mature countries that have been doing eLearning for a while have a legacy; that legacy comes with constraints. Starting fresh presents a whole new world of opportunity.

The potential for innovation and positive change is truly exhilarating. With a young demographic, Africa is poised to lead the way in education transformation. By leveraging technology and embracing local partnerships, we can empower learners and communities like never before.

It’s important to stress that when we create that knowledge—when we create expertise in a country—we don’t want to be a company that is simply selling a product. We do it as equal partners and as part of the UNESCO consortia. It’s important that when we create wealth, knowledge, and expertise, that we’re feeding into the country, not taking from it.

As EdTech develops in Africa, we see people are actively seeking out further education, even travelling overseas for it. EdTech is changing how education is operating and offered in Africa. It’s helping the continent become more prominent in the global community and by increasing access to education and the level of education through online and digital formats, we’re increasing the appetite for lifelong learning.

As we move forward, though, it's essential to prioritise inclusivity, sustainability, and cultural relevance to ensure that technology enhances rather than detracts from the educational experience.

Anthology: Thank you, Nicolas, for sharing your insights and vision for education in Africa. It's inspiring to see Anthology's commitment to driving positive change in the region.

Nicolas Albouze: My pleasure. I just want to highlight how grateful I am for the great community, the transparency, and the communication. We need to cherish the community that we have across Africa.

I’m very excited about the future and how quickly Africa is changing and focusing on education.