Online teaching and learning in this period of the COVID-19 pandemic would have remained a far-fetched dream for some Somali universities if it were not for the timely intervention of the Somali Research and Education Network (SomaliREN).
Member institutions of the research and education network, most of which are privately run, were facing an economic crisis following the suspension of teaching and learning in the east African nation.
Authorities ordered the closure of schools and universities as one way of controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a development which dealt a blow to the universities as they rely on students’ tuition to sustain their institutions.
However, SomaliREN has provided relief to some of these universities by offering its customized video conferencing platform which 11 universities are now using for remote teaching and learning.
Submitted by Jane Gifford
