For Immediate Release
Accra, Ghana – (November 22, 2025) — The Association of African Universities (AAU) is fulfilled to announce the launch of its Digital Empowerment Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) initiative. The platform was unveiled on November 14, 2025, by the Association’s Secretary General, Professor Olusola Oyewole, at the closing of this year’s edition of the Africa Universities’ Day. Launching the platform, Professor Oyewole emphasized the need for African universities to embrace technology as a driver of innovation, when he advised them to extend their attention from faculty and students alone to also administrators and other staff in the higher education value chain. He highlighted the significance of the AAU Digital Empowerment MOOCs, which offers accessible, scalable, and high-quality training in the three core areas of cybersecurity fundamentals for university systems, AI essentials for teaching and administration, and digital literacy for modern academia.
The initiative is designed to equip university staff across Africa with critical digital skills, strengthen institutional capacity, and enhance the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity practices in teaching, research, and administration.
It forms part of AAU’s broader strategy to strengthen digital competencies among academic and administrative staff across its 450 member universities, supporting the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision of a knowledge-driven, digitally empowered Africa.
The Digital Empowerment MOOCs will be delivered in a blended format, combining three-week self-paced online sessions with a day contact session with facilitators, followed by a one-week in-person practical workshop to maximize participation and impact.
The first online cohort runs from December 8 to 26, 2025, and the second from February 2 to 20, 2026. Registration for the online sessions is free and can be completed via https://forms.office.com/r/JLb6fkHWeF.
The in-person workshop will take place from February 23 to February 27, 2026, at the AAU Secretariat, located on the Trinity Avenue, East Legon, Accra, Ghana It focuses on advanced strategic planning, leadership in digital transformation, and technology adoption. The workshop fee, USD 400, covers facilitation, materials, and meals. Payment can be made via https://pay.aau.org/digital-empowerment-moocs.
Participants will engage in video lectures, interactive simulations, case studies, discussion forums, and capstone projects, enabling practical application of acquired skills. The MOOCs initiative aims to deliver measurable benefits to staff and institutions across Africa, with at least 80% of participants expected to improve proficiency in digital, AI, and cybersecurity tools. It also aims to help institutions to reduce minor cybersecurity incidents by 50% while accelerating AI-driven processes within 12 months. Successful participants will awarded certificates, enhancing professional visibility and institutional benchmarking.
The programme was designed with subject matter experts, strategic partners, university staff, and ICT directors to deliver practical and contextually relevant content.
The AAU is, thus, by the release, inviting university administrators, teaching staff, ICT professionals, students, and sector partners to participate in this transformative initiative. We believe that by building a digitally empowered workforce, African universities will enhance innovation, strengthen operational resilience, and contribute meaningfully to Africa’s long-term development goals.
Please contact aaulms@aau.org for further information.
For Media Enquiries,
Dr. Felicia Nkrumah Kuagbedzi
Email: fnkrumah@aau.org
About the AAU
The Association of African Universities is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization created by African universities to promote cooperation among institutions on the continent and strengthen their engagement with the global academic community. Founded in 1967, the AAU serves as the voice of higher education in Africa. Its mission is to enhance the quality, relevance, and sustainability of African higher education by supporting institutional development, fostering collaboration, and promoting innovation across the continent.
