NOUN VC heads ACETEL delegation to ACE workshop in Marrakech
The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Olufemi Peters, is currently leading the Africa Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL) team to the ACE workshop in Marrakech, Morocco.
The workshop, organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU), aims to enhance the capacity of universities in delivering high-quality training and applied research to address regional development challenges.
According to a press release signed by Ibrahim Sheme, Director of Media and Publicity at NOUN, on May 30, 2023, the workshop brings together leaders of the 53 Centres of Excellence, government representatives, key higher education stakeholders, policy think tanks, and partners such as the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the AAU.
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The objective is to accelerate project implementation by measuring the impact achieved and exploring ways to address bottlenecks.
The workshop consists of two series of events. The first series, titled “ACE Impact-focused Project Implementation support sessions,” is scheduled from Monday, May 29, to Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
The organizers have stated that these sessions will focus on continuing the strong push towards project disbursements and fund utilization.
They will provide implementation support and create a platform for peer learning among the ACEs. Specifically, participants will discuss methods to achieve more challenging disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs), such as international accreditation, internships (for select sectors), and institutional impact.
Additionally, centres will receive one-on-one support on fiduciary matters, including financial management, monitoring and evaluation, environmental and social safeguards, and procurement, following national supervision meetings.
The second series of events, titled “Joint ACE-Morocco collaboration,” is scheduled from Wednesday, May 31, to Friday, June 2, 2023.
These events will focus on fostering cross-country partnerships and networks between centres and Moroccan higher education institutions and private sector stakeholders.
The aim is to explore joint research, entrepreneurship, and innovation opportunities. Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to engage in deep dive training and capacity building, specifically on moving research from the laboratory to the market.
The ACE workshop is taking place at the Palm Plaza Hotel and Spa in Marrakech.
Professor Olufemi Peters is leading the team from the Africa Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning (ACETEL), based at NOUN, Abuja.
The team includes the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Technology, Innovation, and Research), Professor Monioluwa Olaniyi, the Director of ACETEL, Professor Grace Jokthan, and others.
