Goski Alabi & Orla Quinlan: Africa’s internationalisation agendas

A huge landmass, a massive youth population and a burgeoning middle class: Africa is a dynamic and complex world region by any measure. Viewed through the lens of international higher education, and specifically under the challenging circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much to explore in relation to the sector’s current realities and future aspirations. Episode number seven of the EAIE podcast brings us into conversation with the leaders of two flagship international education organisations on the continent, offering insights into the multiple agendas and interests currently in play.  

This episode of the EAIE podcast brings us key perspectives on internationalisation in Africa by way of the African Network for Internationalisation of Education (ANIE) and the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA). Headquartered in Kenya, ANIE is a pan-African non-governmental organization working to advance high-quality research, capacity building and advocacy in relation to the international dimension of higher education in Africa. It focuses its efforts both on informing policy and in supporting the development of institutions and individuals in relation to international education. For its part, IEASA serves as the premier association advancing the international education agenda in South Africa, through a mix of activities focused on influencing policy, serving the needs of member institutions, networking opportunities and resources, training opportunities and more.

Goski Alabi and Orla Quinlan, who currently head ANIE and IEASA, respectively, share their thoughts on how individuals and higher education institutions in Africa have been responding to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the global pandemic in 2020 and provide indications of new and ongoing priorities for the sector moving forward.

About Goski Alabi and Orla Quinlan

Goski Alabi is chair of the African Network for Internationalization of Education (ANIE). A professor at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) in Ghana, she is also the West African Representative of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) and co-founder of Laweh Open University College.

Orla Quinlan has been the Director of Internationalisation at Rhodes University, South Africa, since January 2011. She currently serves as President of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA), an organisation for which she has held a variety of leadership positions since 2011.

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