5 Emerging Models of Higher Ed in East Africa (Part II)
This continues a three-part series. Click here for Part I.
In the first post I explored the “lion-sized” problem of higher ed in East Africa: after decades of surging enrollment, academic rigor has diminished and rising numbers of unqualified graduates and skill shortages may jeopardize East Africa’s recent growth and stability. Governments are adjusting to better align higher ed with employment, but many entrepreneurs are acting on their own to innovate, turning constraints into advantages and using creative approaches to establish their “signals” of employability.
Though a traditional university will retain a central role in “signaling,” new models are emerging that achieve the outcome of employability more quickly and cheaply. I’ve broken down five of these models below.
As we’ve seen with M-Pesa pioneering mobile banking years before the United States, it would be a mistake to assume these models will only impact East Africa. Along with giving us insight into their process of innovation, they could provide a preview to the coming transformation of higher ed in the United States, Europe and around the world.
1. Extend a World-Class Brand
It may surprise you that in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, you can browse your smartphone with faster internet than most of Europe. Rwanda is also ranked one of the best places to invest in the world and has averaged nine percent GDP growth since 2000. In just five years, from 2006 to 2011, the number of Rwandans in poverty was reduced by 15 percent. These positive milestones and many others are tied to Vision 2020, an ambitious twenty-year development program announced in 2000 by President Paul Kagame.
Vision 2020 includes goals that span policy, infrastructure, health and education — all in support of transforming Rwanda into a middle-income country. Within education, large initiatives include switching the national language from French to English and reforming the primary and secondary schools. For higher ed, President Kagame sought global partners to help improve access and quality.
CMU Rwanda Graduating Class, May 2015 (CMU.edu)
In 2011, Carnegie Mellon University announced a commitment to open their first international campus in Kigali. Dr. Khosla, who lead the partnership effort from CMU, described what impressed him with President Kagame and the opportunity in Rwanda:
“What got me interested in this project was his vision and his energy in making Rwanda a knowledge-based economy. I believe it’s the first American university to have a comprehensive graduate program on African soil that offers indistinguishable degrees.”
On my second day in Kigali, I arrived at CMU’s temporary facilities (the full campus will be completed in 2016) to speak with Dr. Michel Bézy, Associate Director of CMU Rwanda. A native of Belgium, Michel lived and worked in the United States for many years before arriving in Rwanda five years ago. Since then, he’s witnessed rapid progress and a government eager to collaborate.
In his office, overlooking one of Kigali’s tidy new boulevards, Michel described CMU’s contribution to President Kagame’s vision. By providing internationally-accredited, graduate-level business education, CMU helps retain Rwanda’s best and brightest while strengthening their standing among neighbors in East Africa.
Highlights of the Model:
Program — For academics, CMU leverages the globally renowned program and thought leadership developed by their campuses in the United States. They offer two master’s programs that both blend technical and business disciplines: Information Technology and Electrical & Computer Engineering. Michel noted that since most of their preferred curriculum publishers are US-centric, they gather case studies from African companies to ensure local relevance.
Network — The value of CMU Rwanda joining the global CMU network flows both ways: Rwandan students get to experience a global group of peers that can better prepare them for international business; and US-based students benefit from connections and insight into emerging market dynamics. In addition to connecting virtually, Rwandan students have the option to spend time studying at CMU’s Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley campuses.
Signal — Quite significantly, CMU issues degrees to students in Rwanda that are indistinguishable from students in the United States. This assures prospective students and employers that both universities meet the same rigorous standards and accomplishes the difficult task of entering the market with a proven, in-demand signal of employability.
Regional Impact — As an elite institution, CMU isn’t trying to scale their student numbers (they only expect 150 students in 2017). They do, however, intend to scale their impact in the region through an agreement with the Rwandan Ministry of Education: 20% of their students will come from outside of Rwanda (with financial support). In time, this will create an alumni network of like-minded political and business leaders across sub-saharan Africa.
MarieClaire Murekatete, left, is an alumni from CMU Rwanda’s first class. (CMU.edu)
Results
CMU Rwanda’s second class just graduated in May so it’s too early to determine their impact. But some of their first-year alumni are thrilled about their experience, like MarieClaire Murekatete, who worked with a US-based startup and the Department of State after finishing at CMU Rwanda: “After CMU, I had six opportunities, I created local and international connections and I have experience all over. If I want to go to Nairobi I have a network there, if I want to go to US, I have friends there.”
2. Flip the University
In 2012 two former consultants from McKinsey & Company, Dai Ellis and Oliver Rothschild, met with the Rwandan education minister. Eight years earlier, Dai and Oliver started Generation Rwanda, a non-profit scholarship program helping send low-income Rwandans to university. Now their plan was different: to launch a new model of higher ed that leveraged technology and partnerships to lower costs without impairing quality. Just like Michael from CMU, Dai and Oliver found the minister to be a collaborative partner. Soon after, Kepler was born.
Early in the morning on my first day in Kigali, I took a mototaxi to visit Kepler. After confusing the address and getting dropped half a mile away, I walked along the road and arrived at a three-story, nondescript office building. If it weren’t for their small blue and green sign, I wouldn’t have recognized Kepler as a new model of university.
Kepler’s Kigali Campus (Photo Credit: Laura Elizabeth Pohl)
After being shown in by some students, I was greeted by Carolyn Tarr, Director of Academic Programs. We chatted by her desk in an open office where Kepler’s teams work together, overlooking the courtyard where students continued to arrive. Throughout the day, I discovered many creative ways Kepler’s team had innovated from constraints to keep their costs low while providing a challenging, competitive program and environment for their students.
Highlights of the Model:
Program — As a small, startup institution, Kepler is initially focused on two BA degree programs: Communications and Health Care Management. Within those programs, the curriculum initially came from two partner sources: College for America, a competency-based track of courses developed by Southern New Hampshire University, and Coursera lectures given by acclaimed university professors around the world. As Kepler progressed and grew their team of academic staff, it shifted to developing the bulk of their curriculum internally to better prepare students for the workplace.
Flipped Learning — All students at Kepler are given a laptop. On their own time, they watch lectures and navigate the curriculum. They are asked to arrive at class already understanding the concepts and ready to engage at a higher level.
Instructors — Without the need for professors to create the curricula and deliver the lectures, Kepler insteads employs cheaper yet talented local instructors who lead group exercises, facilitate critical-thinking workshops and grade homework projects and assessments.
Facilities — Kepler found other inventive ways to lower costs and move quickly: they lease the office building instead of building a new, expensive campus and they rent local houses for students instead of building dormitories.
Signal — Even as an affordable model, Kepler still needs to attract students and appeal to employers with a credible signal of employability. How do they establish Kepler as a new brand? While Kepler is a distinct entity, it’s not a university — the degrees are issued by Southern New Hampshire University. By bundling the innovative reputation of Kepler with a US-based university, a more competitive degree signal is created.
Students at Kepler (Photo credit: Juan Herrero)
Results
So far, Kepler’s model shows promise. Their tuition is approximately $1000 (similar to other Rwandan universities), but according to Carolyn, their students have demonstrated higher-than-average performance on learning outcomes, especially with technology training and workforce readiness. After growing to 300 students in Kigali and recently opening a pilot in Kiziba Refugee Camp, they plan to scale in both Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa in 2017.
What to Watch For
Carolyn’s outlook is positive, but it’s too early to determine if Kepler’s graduates will be competent employees or successful entrepreneurs. In a few years, they will have more long-term data to compare their graduates with traditional universities in Rwanda. Another factor to watch: with Kepler’s model of local instructors and leveraging third-party curriculum, can they continue to grow enrollment and scale to multiple campuses without impacting efficacy? Is their cost model sustainable, and is there larger demand for their unique program and the unbundled signal it offers? If the answer is yes, Kepler’s model could be compatible elsewhere around the world. Anticipating this, Kepler has publicly committed to document and share what they learn.
Note: Another novel approach to re-invent higher ed in Africa is beginning this fall in Mauritius: African Leadership University. As described at a TED Talk by founder Fred Saniker, ALU plans to create 25 universities dedicated to educating Africa’s future generations of leaders.
3. Focus Unapologetically on Employment
Rwanda has the highest representation of women in government of any country in the world — around 60%. Women in Rwanda also own businesses and run community councils at much higher rates than their neighboring countries. To continue this progress, President Kagame recently made three commitments on women’s rights which included to “triple girls’ enrollment in technical and vocational training.”
Akilah Institute for Women, which I introduced in Part I, is closely aligned with the President’s commitment. To empower their female students with the best opportunities, Akilah focuses unapologetically on employment as their outcome. I spoke with Carrie Ellett, previously the Country Director for nearby Burundi, told me during my visit how the women arrive from every corner of Rwanda to attend Akilah.
Highlights of the Model:
Program — To make sure every student starts at the same level, the first year focuses with foundational courses that’s heavy on English. The second two years earn lead students on a path to earn a diploma in either Entrepreneurship, Information Systems or Hospitality Management — other disciplines like Healthcare are being considered. Through project-based learning and group discussions, Akilah’s instructors ensure students have strong critical-thinking and analytical skills and are ready to solve unanticipated problems in the workplace.
Employer Relationships — Akilah’s reputation begins and ends with their close relationship with employers — they align curricula closely with workplace needs for a variety of corporate partners, including Marriott for Hospitality Management. Later in the program, Akilah assists with placing students in internships and then jobs.
Signal — Carrie explained that the Education Ministry initially wasn’t sure how to classify Akilah, with a vocational program design but offering advanced careers like Entrepreneurship and IT. In Rwanda there’s a split system of accreditation. While students at Kepler University earn “Degrees” that are accredited through the Higher Education Council (HEC), Akilah Institute became accredited through the Workforce Development Authority (WWA) and issues “Diplomas.
Results
Akilah has achieved their 90% job placement rate of through a rigorous academic program and a hands-on approach, but it comes at a cost: the price per student is approximately $3,500 per year (though with private donations, students pay a fraction of that).
What to Watch For
As covered in Part I, Akilah still faces the challenge of employer preference for the degree “signal.” While they might still decide to add Degrees, they currently are an example that quality, employability-driven higher is possible without a traditional university approach. However, the long-term viability of the model prompts a few more questions: Can they scale beyond the 120 young women arriving this fall? Can they find ways to further lower costs like Kepler has? Ultimately the answers to these questions will determine whether Akilah’s model could be applicable in other parts of East Africa or beyond.
In the entrance hall, Akilah alumni featured with their employers.
4. Rebundle Around Skills
During my week in Nairobi, Kenya, I met with a one-year-old startup called Spire Education. As mentioned in Part I, Kenya has tripled its university graduates in recent years, but over half are considered unqualified by employers. Spire, founded by the same team as Kepler, was created to address this problem. It hosts a 6 week “career accelerator” that helps recent graduates acquire the professional skills and confidence needed to secure a great job.
Highlights of the Model:
Program: Spire’s skill-based curriculum bundle is a short-list of priorities from employers worldwide: improving communications, presenting-abilities and critical-thinking. These skills are under-emphasized in universities and in secondary schools where rote memorization is often the norm.
Coaching: Oliver described how they designed the program so students first learn new content on their own. And when they get together in person, they do group activities, which involves a lot of putting students on the spot, like they will be in a real work environment. Each student is also assigned a personal coach that keeps in touch with their progress and challenges.
Signal: Completing Spire’s career accelerator doesn’t replace a degree signal, but instead supplements the degree with a bundle of skills that are meaningful to recent graduates and employers.
Results
The results have been promising: Oliver said 95% of their students were employed within three months of graduation — companies greatly prefer job candidates that went through the Spire program.
However, after running a few of the 6-week accelerators Spire decided to take a different approach. While employers valued Spire-trained candidates, it proved challenging to advertise the program to students and convince parents to pay for something they expected to get from the university. During my visit, Spire was deciding to pivot away from a direct-to-student model and instead partner directly with companies and universities. Interesting, Spire also announced recently plans to open a chain of secondary schools, Nova Academies. Oliver explained that Spire’s experience showed them the solution needs to begin before university, not after.
Spire coach facilitating a discussion on professional skills.
What to Watch For
Spire has already pivoted to work directly with universities and companies. One factor to watch for is whether universities improve their own career preparedness training and reduce the need for a company like Spire. More broadly, if the outcome of higher ed is employment, and employment requires skills, are degrees or diplomas really a necessary signal for employability? Companies like Spire and others I visited includingAkirachix, African Management Initiative, and RLabs — are each pioneering alternative, skill-based signals. The question that remains to be answered: will these models continue to compliment existing credentials or could they eventually replace them?
5. Pay the Learner
This summer a unique player in the African higher ed scene launched in Nairobi after beginning in Lagos, Nigeria a year ago. It’s called Andela, and its goal is to train 100,000 African software developers in ten years and become an economic powerhouse across the continent. As CEO and cofounder Jeremy Johnson describes it:
“Andela uses a fellowship model that allows talented young people with the aptitude but not the means to both learn and work at the same time, earning wages while growing their skills over time.”
Participants of Andela’s Boot Camp. (Photo credit: Mohini Ufeli)
That’s correct: Andela pays their learners, not the other way around. After a rigorous interview and selection process, those chosen begin a four-year paid fellowship to learn and work as a software developer for Andela’s client companies around the world.
Highlights of the Model:
Selection Process — By offering free education for a well-paid technology job, Andela gets a lot of applicants. So many, in fact, that their selection rate is less than one percent (after self-taken aptitude tests and a round of interviews). According to the third-party companythat runs the tests “The caliber of talent at Andela ranks in the top 1% of all workers being assessed on our systems worldwide.” The selected candidates are further filtered through a two week boot camp. Those who pass that final test become the Andela Fellows and begin a three-month immersive training experience.
Program: Andela invests heavily in their Fellows, providing everything they need to quickly become skilled programmers including housing, meals, instructors and mentors from around the world.
Direct-to-Employment: By having every incentive to train their learners as quickly as possible and through “full-stack” oversight into every part of the experience, Andela maintains a tight feedback loop and quickly improves their program.
Results
Andela had demonstrated compelling progress so far. Their fellows in Nigeria are working remotely for a handful of US-based companies, including Microsoft. After just opening in Kenya, Andela will expand next to Zimbabwe.
Investors have paid attention, with Spark Capital contributing to their latest round. In a post expanding on their decision, VC John Melas-Kyriazidescribed Andela’s impact:
“By creating a highly educated, well-compensated community of technology professionals, Andela is helping to build a true middle class in Lagos and soon in cities all over Africa.”
As a model for employability-driven higher ed, paying the learner seems to have struck a chord, and not just in Africa. Andela has recently received numerous accolades in major press, including the New Yorker, Forbes, and Wired.
Lets remember what Andela doesn’t require or provide: a degree or diploma of any kind. If those credentials are a means (signal) to an end (employment), and Andela provides the end itself, why is a credential needed? Even after leaving Andela, Fellows’ work experience will act as the signal for the next employment opportunity.
What to Watch For
Andela may have established a higher ed model where they operate as both the educator and employer. The results of the Nairobi expansion will indicate how well their model scales to new cities. A few questions remain: will the model work for other in-demand industries like hospitality and health care, or is software engineering unique? And does the pay-the-learner approach only succeed when you’re accepting the top 1% of applicants?
What does it mean for higher ed globally?
Each of these models is designed to achieve a different outcome: CMU extends their brand to offer elite, graduate education in Rwanda; Kepler flips the university model to provide both quality and affordability; Akilah partners with employers to best prepare their students; Spire rebundles skills to improve graduates’ employability; and Andela pays their Fellows to become software development contractors for global companies.
By 2025, global higher ed can expect to serve an additional 98 million learners — the equivalent of opening four major universities every week for 15 years. To serve this unprecedented demand, higher ed providers must considerably scale in the next decade. You can imagine how a model like Kepler, shared openly for others to replicate, could one day support millions of learners. Perhaps Andela will open in Brazil, India and Indonesia — recruiting tens of thousands of new Fellows.
Though each model has a distinct vision for scale, we can draw key insights from looking at this innovative group as a whole. I’ll explore these insights and implications for future learners next, in Part III.
