For two years I had been thinking about how I could work that into ONLINE EDUCA, but eventually decided that e-learning in Africa was too big a topic to fit into OEB, so in 2005 I organised eLearning Africa in Ethiopia. I thought it would be a small conference with about 300 people, but over 870 turned up.

We try to make e-learning Africa as accessible as possible, through targeted subsidies and scholarships

We decided then that we would develop eLearning Africa as a roaming conference, a truly Pan-African event. The first year was Ethiopia, then Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Zambia, Tanzania, Benin, Namibia, Uganda and now we are returning to Ethiopia, to celebrate the 10^th year.

There are around 1,500 participants annually and we try to make the event as accessible as possible, through targeted subsidies and scholarships. We aim to bring together diverse groups, from teachers and developers who are working at the grassroots level to CEOs, ministers and heads of state.

The PIE: What effect do you think the boom in e-learning and ICT will have on global student mobility?

RS: Initially, many universities thought that e-learning would replace the need to go to university, but physically attending a university is not just about acquiring knowledge: it’s about the whole student experience and the cultural experience of living and studying in a new place.

Technology will not change student mobility in a big way, and universities that embrace the technology and that understand the role it plays in students’ lives will be able to use it to their own advantage.

The PIE: What are your thoughts on MOOCS?

RS: When they became a mainstream topic for discussion, it made my work much easier because everyone started talking about e-learning. But really, MOOCs are just distance learning repackaged, and not particularly revolutionary or disruptive.

The idea touted by some was that MOOCs would provide access to Ivy League education to people who would otherwise never come close. But in reality, an 18 year old will always prefer the university experience and barriers to access still exist in the same places: the privileges of time, hardware, electricity and Internet.

MOOCs are just distance learning repackaged, and not particularly revolutionary or disruptive

However, they are great for supporting your educational environment and they have many other benefits. Students can even do a MOOC to find out what they want to study at university; perhaps they will reduce the number of university drop-outs.

The PIE: What are you most excited about?

RS: Educators are being bombarded with new technologies and new methods – often with scarce evidence for their efficacy – and the question is, who decides what is put in place, and where. Through our events, we hope that we can provide a platform for open dialogue about these questions.

The PIE: How many conferences does ICWE organise and what’s next?

RS: Around 10 of our own, as well as many events and communications campaigns for international clients. We employ over 60 people in our Berlin head office.

We’ll continue to do what we do best, while always looking to innovate. I think that good content is the catalyst for really great networking. You can’t beat face-to-face contact and the ideas that spring forth from serendipitous meetings. That’s not something that can be done better online. Or, at least, not yet!