First HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech fellows announced

The HP Cambridge Partnership for Education EdTech Fellowship is a seven-month programme that aims to grow policymakers' knowledge and skills to lead impactful EdTech transformations in their education systems.  

The first group of fellows were selected to embark on the programme from more than 400 applications from Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. The group includes senior government officials and organisation leaders from 13 countries who are working to advance digital transformation in education ecosystems.  

The fellows will focus on improving the quality and equity of learning for children, supported through close partnerships with HP and Cambridge Partnership for Education, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment.  

Included in the first group of fellows are senior government officials who are in charge of digital education programmes in countries like Botswana, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. These programmes have the potential to benefit more than 120 million children.  

The programme, starting next week, will include a residential course, held at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, as well as online study and one-to-one coaching.  

Fellows joining the programme on a scholarship include Dr Frances Alimigbe, Assistant Chief Education Officer at the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria. Dr Frances works with more than 2 million teachers across 36 states, including on teacher selection, standards and policy. Some of the key challenges she plans to focus on during the fellowship are infrastructure and tools and teachers’ digital skills and capacity in schools, especially in rural areas.    

“The wealth of contacts and ideas that will be acquired by being a member of the fellowship will form an immense database and viable resource for us to fall back to. With the fellowship, we form a community of practice where best practices are shared across borders and generate quality research ideas for improving EdTech transformation in teaching and learning globally,” said Dr Frances.  

Jane Mann, Managing Director of Cambridge Partnership for Education, said: “Our first EdTech fellows have huge remits, and huge strengths. They are responsible for turning policy into action. Supported by one another, tutors and coaches, the fellows will build healthier EdTech ecosystems where grassroots innovations are promoted, effectively evaluated and successfully scaled to help combat learning crises today and increase education system resilience for the future.”  

Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader at HP, said: “The next breakthroughs in EdTech will come from emerging visionary leaders in unique national contexts. This programme will enable cross-border discussions and development to help overcome barriers, from infrastructure to curriculum content.”  

Cambridge Partnership for Education developed the inaugural EdTech fellowship programme with HP during the AfricanBrains Summit in Lusaka, Zambia in 2022.  

The programme is led by Cambridge Partnership for Education Head of Education Technology Solutions Julia Citron. It is supported by the Digital Education Futures Initiative (DEFI) at Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge and Dr Bjoern Hassler’s team at EdTech specialist NGO, OpenDevEd.

Find out more: edtechfellowship.cambridge.org