the new wave : students empowering each other across continents solomon assefa

The New Wave:Students Empowering Each Other

Across Continents

Solomon Assefa

©2003MIT-Africa Internet

Technology Initiative

What is MIT-AITI?• A student run initiative at MIT• MIT students sent to Africa during Summer• Goals:

i. Increase utilization of IT in African high schools and universities

ii. Develop a long-term technical and cultural friendship between MIT and African Institutions

iii. Provide MIT students with community service opportunities to implement their strong engineering background



How is MIT-AITI run?• Student run:

unique, dynamic, creative, always evolving direct input from MIT students who travel

• Tasks designated to different committees: Logistics Publicity Selection Curriculum Program excellence Fund raising



Fall:Fund Raising

Winter/Spring:Execute Logistics

Summer:Execute Program

Summer/Fall:Evaluate execution

and impact

The ‘Four Seasons’



History of MIT-AITI

Achimota, Presec

Alliance, Strathmore

GHANA

KENYA

2002

StrathmoreKENYA2001

SCHOOLSCOUNTRYYEAR

2000 KENYA Strathmore($17,000)

($17,000)

($50,000)



’00 - ’02: Learning Model“Classroom” Learning

• Morning lectures by MIT students• Afternoon lab sessions• Exams, class projects, feedback from students• Invited guest talks by local entrepreneurs

2000 2001 2002

# of MIT students 4 4 14

# of African Students 45 75 180

# of African Teachers 5 5 10



Implementation• The courses are taught by MIT students who

are selected from all disciplines in MIT.

• The courses are offered over the summer period for a period of 6 weeks.

• High demand at MIT: receive over 100 applications each year

• High demand in Africa: many want to enroll



Program content• AITI offers courses in JAVA, Java Server

Pages(JSP) , ASP.NET (cutting edge) and LINUX (free operating system)

• The African schools choose from our menu of courses

• Students take exams and implement community based projects



‘03: Change and Expansion

Learning Models:Ethiopia: “Classroom” Learning and EntrepreneurshipGhana: “Classroom” Learning Kenya: “Self” Learning

Expansion:Kenya Ghana Ethiopia

# of MIT students 2 9 7

# of African Students 10 96 140

# of African Teachers 2 5 4



Learning Process

Cooperation:• Study together

• Teach each other

Practice:• Lab sessions

• Solving problems

Novel Resources:• MIT-OCW; online

• Books and CDs

“Self” Learning Model

Support• African lab coordinator/lecturer• E-mail exchange with MIT students

Evaluation• daily homework, weekly quizzes• Final project/internship



Other Activities• Entrepreneurship lectures conducted in Ethiopia:

Gave visibility to the program Liked by all participants (guests as well as students)

• AIDS awareness initiative in Ghana Brochures, open discussions

• Talks on how to apply to US colleges What exams to take, how to find on-line resources

• Inspire: You can be successful; You can empower yourself and change the future; being proactive



‘04: Advanced Model• Continue “classroom” learning

• Select 50 students per country• “Self” learning

• implement in all three countries • involve 1 African professor from each school: give a few “practical lectures”, work with students• 2 MIT students working with students and professor • 20 African students per country

• Entrepreneurship lectures• implement in all three countries• guest lectures by local entrepreneurs• conduct a business plan competition

• Concentrate on universities (tertiary education)• Actively seek for local internships for AITI graduates



Impact: MIT• Unique experience for MIT students in a new culture

• Fostered the concept of “community service” and group collaboration by utilizing technical background

• Enhanced MIT’s involvement in providing novel solutions for bridging the gap between developed and developing nations

• MIT’s name has been mentioned in many African newspapers and other media outlets• created goodwill for further collaboration with African institutions

• Increased awareness of MIT community about Africa• dispelling stereotypical images



"One of the most culturally enriching, fun-filled, educational and productive trips I have ever been to. AITI enabled us to teach useful skills to Ghanaian students, while learning a lot about the local people and their way of life. Ghanaians are simply one of the friendliest and most beautiful people I have ever met. An AITI trip is a great service opportunity that complements the MIT experience."

• increasing # of applications• increased student involvement in the organization• feedback from MIT offices• Testimonials

Impact Evaluation: MIT



Impact: Africa• Over the last three years AITI has taught over

500 students and 30 teachers

• Introduced cutting edge technology (eg. ASP.net), and promote open software (eg. Linux)

• Local community based websites initiated



Impact: Africa• Students got jobs in local IT industry

• Utilizing novel learning models

• Inspired high school alumni initiatives

• Inspired African universities to actively seek collaboration with US universities



Impact• MIT students enable African students with the

latest advanced IT tools

• African students enrich MIT students with a deep understanding of unique cultures and communities

• A new wave where students in different continents empower each other



Future Prospects• Strengthen AITI in Kenya, Ghana, & Ethiopia

• Would like to expand to two more countries

• Wishful thinking: would like to get $500,000 to fund AITI projects over the next five years



Program Sponsorship• Mentors:

Professor Paul Gray Professor Richard Larson

• Foundations Engineering Information Foundation (EIF) Lord Foundation

• Government Educational Development Center (EDC)

• Companies Africa Online, 3Com

• Private Kate and Baty Gordon, Professor Paul Gray



Support from MIT

Office of the president and the provost Office of the chancellor Graduate Students Office Edgerton Center Public Service Center (PSC) Academic Computing Service



•Implementation of world class tertiary education in developing countries leveraging internet (e-learning), television, and radio technologies

• Bring together professionals whose primary concern is quality tertiary e-learning in developing countries

• 2004: creating and sustaining “learning communities”

Goals of LINC



Summary: Link to LINC• MIT-AITI:

a successful, scalable, flexible, and sustainable model; a model for other similar initiatives

• Working with LINCAITI is a good model to evaluate the impact of e-

learning on tertiary education in developing nationsAITI is creating “learning communities”AITI is bringing together “future professionals,” NOW

the new wave : students empowering each other across continents solomon assefa

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