Deploying international HE partnerships for improved Open Distance Learning (ODL) and employability strategies

SCiLAB have funded two key phases of an ongoing scholarship project between the Faculty of Business and Law at The Open University (OU), and the Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning (IODeL) at Makerere University in Uganda, aimed at improving the quality of open distance learning at both institutions. The project is guided by the overarching research question: ‘How can partnerships between HE institutions in the Global North and the Global South be configured to support the development of employability frameworks that are dynamically conducive to improving the employability and entrepreneurship of students?’

An introductory phase of the project explored the views of academic staff at Makerere University in order to start developing a common understanding of the core underlying issues. Discussions focused on staff development needs and staff views on student employability and entrepreneurship skills. The second phase involved student focus groups followed by a survey of students at Makerere University focused on student employability skills. This work enabled a draft employability and entrepreneurship framework to be developed and designed to meet student needs.

The study progressed the team’s understanding of the employability situation at one of sub-Saharan Africa’s leading academic institutions and laid a strong foundation to further explore what other key stakeholders think of the framework. Dr Harriet Nabushawo from IODeL has since visited the Open University for 2 weeks in May 2024, following many virtual engagements over the past few years, offering a chance to expand the scope of the collaboration further.

The findings have informed development of case studies in module production within the business school, as well as the OU's understanding of how to widen its employability framework to make it more international.

Outputs

Conferences

Mbalyohere, C.G. (2023) Employability in international context, April, ALT Conference, Westminster University Law School, London, UK.

Mbalyohere, C.G. (2023) Insights from student views on employability-entrepreneurship-enhancing strategies: a case study of a Uganda-based university, British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference, Virtual Day, 1^st September

Mbalyohere, C. (2023) International HE partnerships and online-oriented approaches to improving the employability and entrepreneurship of graduates – evidence from a UK-Uganda case study, FBL SCiLAB festival (Virtual), 19^th April, The Open University.

Mbalyohere, C.G. and Nabushawo, H. (2024) Student views on employability-entrepreneurship-enhancing strategies: insights from a UK-Uganda HE international partnership, Blurred Boundaries Festival (Virtual), 19^th June, The Open University