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On Friday, 5th July 2013, in one of the largest African Union Commission (AUC) initiatives in professional development, 213 mid-to-senior level Government and public sector officials from eight African countries graduated from a bespoke leadership course implemented by GESCI (Founded by the UN ICT Task Force) titled African Leadership in ICT (ALICT) and Knowledge Society Development. The ALICT course, which attracted several hundred applicants from 12 selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, is a bespoke 7 month professional blended learning course (online and face- to- face) designed and delivered by GESCI (Global e-Schools and Communities’ Initiative). The course is tailored specifically to the professional development needs of Africa’s future architects of the Knowledge Society in the fields of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), and ICT policy making and planning. “The gap between developed and under developed countries is decreased by the proper proliferation of knowledge. The African Leadership in ICT programme is one of the African Union’s key initiatives contributing to the development of sustainable Knowledge Societies in Africa” said H.E. Dr. Elham M.A. Ibrahim, Commissioner, Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission. 

Read full update here.

African Leadership in ICT

African Leadership in ICT (ALICT) is an African Union Commission initiative, supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and implemented by GESCI (Founded by the UN ICT Task Force). ALICT is being implemented across eight African cuntries: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique. This second phase of implementation will conclude at the end of May 2013. ALICT was successfully implemented across five African countries between January and August 2012: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Mauritius.

Rationale for ALICT course

Policy incoherence and misalignment in the Education, ICT, Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sectors, and a lack of effective leadership to address this issue, has been identified as one of the greatest obstacles to the development of knowledge societies in Africa. Socio-economic development depends on well developed and implementable Education, ICT and STI policies that compliment one another and advance each sector’s goals. The ALICT course will build the capacity of future African leaders to contribute effectively to the development of knowledge societies by imparting new leadership skills to them. These new leadership skills will provide participants with the attitudes, ideas, management tools, and strategies to act as change agents, assisting their ministries and organisations to develop coherent and well aligned polices in Education, ICT and STI.

Equalising opportunity for women

“In this programme the African leadership in ICT (ALICT) Programme is supporting such government initiatives by having set a target of graduating at least 30% of women leaders in the public sector from every cohort of participants recruited. In the first 2 cohorts the programme has been exceeding the target by a small percentage and halfway through the 3rd cohort retained the same percentage female participation.

In addition, the Programme has been designed and is implemented in such a way to ensure that women leaders receive the support they need to be complete the course successfully. Women leaders are carefully monitored and followed up where challenges have been identified and both the course management, tutor teams and Student Support Officers provide constant encouragement, motivation and support to women leaders in recognition of the fact that women leaders in general face more challenges and barriers in the workplace than their male counterparts”

Course Vision

Work with future African leaders in ministries and organisations to advance knowledge society development across Africa.

Course Objectives

  1. Equip existing and future African leaders with a commanding understanding of the key elements in the development of knowledge societies.

  2. Build leaders’ capacities to be agents of change in their own ministries, organisations and regions for the development of knowledge societies.

Certification and Awards

Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a professional development certificate in ICT and Knowledge Society. Successful participants will also be eligible for the award of a Graduate Diploma in Leadership in ICT and the Knowledge Society from Dublin City University (Ireland), a leading European university. Participants who obtain a Graduate Diploma may continue their studies with DCU for the award of Masters on completion of a research module followed by research enquiry. Further fees will apply for the Masters.

Course Benefits

  1. Strengthened career- advancement opportunities through relevant professional development

  2. Acquired 21st Century skills for the development of the Knowledge Society
  3. Membership to a continent-wide Professional Network of ALICT alumni
  4. Expected accumulated credits for post-graduate qualifications
  5. Working knowledge of web 2.0 tools (social media, tagging, blogging, podcasting, social bookmarking, vodcasting etc.)
  6. Working knowledge of Futures Thinking Tools (Horizon Scanning; Scenario Development; Delphi Method and Trend Impact Analysis)
  7. Appreciation for the importance of innovation and creativity in strategy formulation
  8. Improved Communication Skills
  9. Improved project management, policy planning and implementation skills
  10. Mastery of Leadership Toolkit for the Knowledge Society

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