International cooperation helps developing higher education through distance education in Mozambique

Abstract

In 2007, the University of Aveiro, Portugal, and the University Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique, settled a joint 4 year program aiming at the development of distance education in Higher Education in Mozambique. This program has been financially supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 2008 several activities were undertaken: development and update of the skills of the Distance Education Centre’s (CEND) staff of the University Eduardo Mondlane; support to the decision-making process leading to the identification and development of a pilot-project, a 3 year degree in Business Management, fully delivered at a distance; support to the improvement of the technological infrastructure of CEND. A doctoral program in Multimedia in Education, specially conceived for a group of CEND’s staff, will start soon, that will promote study and research taking advantage from the direct experience participants have in designing, deploying and managing distance education. Furthermore, pedagogical, technical and strategic management support to the CEND’s distance education activities will be continued. Both universities recognize that sharing their achievements and difficulties, on the basis of mutual institutional and personal respect, and promoting joint research based on the results achieved, is the most sound basis to improve their knowledge and prospectives about distance education in HE.