International Initiatives of the Virtual University and Other Forms of Distance Learning: The Case of the African Virtual University

Abstract

The African Virtual University (AVU) is attempting to address the huge and unmet demand for educational services in Africa and presents the experiences, lessons, and adjustments being made to achieve improved effectiveness and relevance. This university seeks to address these issues by harnessing the power of modern information and communications technologies (ICTs) to provide cost-effective education and training. AVU is the only institution offering technology-based distance education for the whole continent and has a first-mover advantage. The intervention of the African Virtual University will result in increased access to quality education, improve access to quality literature internationally, and enhance interaction among African academics and between them and the rest of the world.