Open University Business School links with Africa are strengthened

The woman behind plans to open a girls’ school in South Sudan, where 90 per cent of women are illiterate, has visited the Open University Business School (OUBS).

Almost six years ago, on the banks of the Nile, Bridget told John Benington, husband of Professor Jean Hartley, Professor in Public Leadership at the OUBS, of her dream to build a residential school in Ibba.

Jean and John, who were in pre-independence South Sudan running workshops for the interim government, agreed to help her develop a plan and raise the money.

The university invited Bridget, one of just two women commissioners out of 79, to visit the UK to report on progress in the building and development of her school, to meet UK friends and supporters and see how UK schools and Boards of Governors are governed and managed.

The visit also highlighted the work being done by the university and the Open University Business School in sub-Saharan Africa.

Bridget’s is a remarkable story of achievement. Most girls in South Sudan drop out of school aged 10 because of competing pressure from family, household duties and early pregnancy. Bridget continued her education at a convent with support from the church and dreamed of building a boarding school for girls aged 10 and up.

More than 70 acres has been donated for the campus and with the help of Friends of Ibba Girls School (FIGS) in the UK, £400,000 has been raised and building begun.

Bridget was accompanied by the South Sudan State Minister of Education, Western Equatorial State, the Hon Pia Philip Michael.

Professor Hartley said Bridget and Philip learnt about the OU and its potential for helping government officials, civil society and communities to improve education and skills across the nation through, for example, study for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

“They had a good discussion with staff in TESSA (Teacher Education in sub-Saharan Africa) about research and activities in the OU relevant to supporting teachers in education through open on-line teaching materials,” she said.
“The meeting was hugely successful and our visitors will be returning armed with CDs, papers, weblinks and contacts in East Africa”.

Find out more about the Friends of Ibba Girls School and support it here. Meanwhile the Open University Business School is developing a programme to meet the capacity building needs of management development in Africa. This involves working with public and private sector organisations to develop and trial various methods of content, pedagogy and delivery, says Francis Cattermole, Lecturer in Business Development (Africa).

“The intention is to work closely with African trainers and academics in this programme and it will be backed up by evaluative research led by the OU and using researchers in Africa and the UK.

“The outcome is intended to be a new model of management development which is specifically fit for purpose in an African context,” he said.

Professor Rob Paton is leading the research proposal and Francis Cattermole is the lecturer responsible for working with organisations in Africa to develop and trial possible programmes.

Francis would be delighted to hear from any OUBS alumni who work in or with African organisations and who might be interested in being involved in the initiative. If you think this might be you then please email Francis francis.cattermole@open.ac.uk .

“Our plan is to set up a short webinar or video conference for anyone interested during the first week in June to share more about our thoughts and gauge the level and nature of interest,” he said.