Unesco Chair on ODL at Unisa

Every year the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning frames Open Distance and e-Learning research within a theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to national, continental and international research and its relevance to the current educational environment. This year’s theme is:
• “Fourth industrial revolution and digitisation for the advancement of resilient education
systems”.

The theme ties with the catalytic niche area of the University of South Africa - Fourth Industrial Revolution and Digitalisation, as well as the African Union's theme of the year, “The Year of Education - Educate an African fit for the 21st Century”. It invites us to reflect on questions around the role of emerging technologies in strengthening, designing, and implementing effective learning opportunities for students all over the world.

In harnessing research from the proliferating 4IR and digitalisation the UNESCO Chair on ODL seeks to promote the application of effective digital technologies to unconventional and challenging educational contexts on the African continent with a view to building more resilient education systems. The UNESCO Chair's theme highlights the way institutions of higher education can close the digital divide in education and leverage the power of technology in accelerating learning, reducing learning poverty, and supporting skills development on the continent.

Against the backdrop of these preliminaries the UNESCO Chair on ODL invites you to its research seminar series presentation by Prof Piera Biccard of the Department of Curriculum and Institutional Studies, College of Education, UNISA. The title of her presentation is:
Al - Cognitive Amplifier or Inhibitor?

Prof Biccard is a dedicated educator with many years of experience in teaching mathematics at school level. She transitioned into higher education, assuming the role of a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at Unisa. Within this academic setting, she lectures honours students and publishes in the field of mathematics education and more recently, in open distance learning. She possesses a deep-seated enthusiasm and curiosity for new technologies. The advent of artificial intelligence has particularly captivated her interest, as she is driven to explore its potential for transforming teaching and learning experiences.

https://eur06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_MTRiZWQ3YzYtNmE4ZC00OWM2LTlhZDYtNWNiOTZhYjc5YmFl%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522ca9a8b8c-3ea3-4799-a43e-5510398e7a3b%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522e863595a-2e2f-46cf-9cf8-0601e0e4118e%2522%257d&data=05%7C02%7Cletsem%40unisa.ac.za%7C8d9aab063ed24080142208dc5ef0a6c0%7Cca9a8b8c3ea34799a43e5510398e7a3b%7C0%7C0%7C638489634872652839%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8%2Fgc%2Fd%2B%2BbuLepo0foD8RsbAW02sji6Pgyqsdmd7w2Ao%3D&reserved=0

Following yesterday's NATCOM's hosting of UNESCO's Director General at the Department of Basic Education (DBE), today I jumped straight into the UNESCO Digital Futures of Education public seminar from 9h30 to 12h00. The facilitator spent time mapping the UN and UNESCO's policy landscape vis-a-vis education and digital transformation. He highlighted the following engagements and key policy documents that are critical to conversations on 'Digital Futures in Education:
• The International Forum on Al and the Futures of Education Developing Competencies for the Al Era of 7-8 December 2020.
• UNESCO's K-12 Al curricula: A mapping of government-endorsed Al curricula.
• UNESCO's Al in Education: Change at the Speed of Learning, UNESCO TITE Policy Brief.
• UNESCO's Re-imagining our Futures. Together: A New Social Contract for Education.
• The UNICEF Transforming Education Summit Jnited Nations, New York, 16, 17 & 19 September 2022.
• The Beijing Consensus on artificial intelligence and education, and
• The UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2023 Technology in Education: A tool on whose terms?

This mapping of UN and UNESCO policy landscape was followed by country presentations and a sharing of examples of good practice in the implementation of digital interventions, guided by the principle of 3Cs - connectivity, capacity, and content. The country country presentations are:
• Egypt - Digital platforms for teacher development.
• Ethiopia - Development of digital textbooks, Reform agenda on ICT and Digital Education: transforming higher education.
• Ghana - Localising OCT Compency Framework for Teachers.
• Thailand - Integrated approach for digital education and connectivity, content and competencies.
• Brazil - Digitak futures of education: Perspectives from Brazil, and
• Finland - Research-based development of Al-powered learning management systems (LMS):
Towards a more proactive and resilient education system.

With the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning (ODL)'s 2024 theme penned as, "Advancing resilient education systems through the fourth industrial revolution and digitalization", these high level UNESCO engagements on 'Digital Futures of Education', and 'OER Dynamic Coalition' are poised to add value to the Chair's research and innovation (R&l) mandate.

Today Prof Moeketsi Letseka (holder of the UNESCO Chair on ODL) is at the 2024 Education Association of South Africa (EASA)’s annual conference, which is hosted by the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Education at Mount Grace Hotel & Spa in Magaliesburg. Prof Letseka had the honour and privilege to introduce the guest speaker, Dr Pali Lehohla, his fellow Mosotho compatriot; fellow National University of Lesotho (NUL) alumnus; former Statistician General; Director of Economic Modelling Academy at GIBS, Illovo; Professor of Practice at University of Johannesburg, and Research Associate at Oxford University.

With the aid of a barrage of raw statistical data Dr Lehohla provocatively titled his keynote address: “The era of idiots and what should be done about it”, in order to draw attention to the ‘poverty of thinking’ that continues to bedevil conceptions, practices, and desired impact of education in South Africa.

Prof Letseka also had the honour and privilege to visit the Juta Publishers stall where he was warmly welcomed by his publishing agents, Ms Lynn Koch and Ms Melissa Soudom. Juta is the publisher of Prof Letseka’s co-authored book with Prof Philip Higgs, ‘Philosophy of Education Today: An Introduction’ (Juta, 2022), which was on display at the Juta exhibition stall. Prof Letseka also connected with Prof Kat Yassim of the University of Johannesburg, who is working on a research project idea with Dr Morikanyo Akintolu, his postdoctoral fellow at the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning.

Today Prof Letseka served as a panelist at the Science Forum South Africa 2023. The forum, which started on Monday and ends on Friday is hosted by both the National Research Foundation (NRF), and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Our panel discussion was held the Albert Luthuli Auditorium, NRF. This year’s Forum is themed “Igniting Conversations About Science-People Partnerships, Priorities for the Decadal Plan”.

The panel session explored “Education for the Future: the role of language and digital technologies in helping children to read for meaning”. The title of Prof Letseka’s presentation was: “Is there adequate capacity and infrastructure in the public sector considering the inequality of schools and the urban rural divide?”.

Prof Letseka had the pleasure to share the stage with legendary singer, song writer, and producer, Dr Sello Galane, of the famed Kiba music, who is now Chief Education Specialist at the National Department of Basic Education (DBE). The other panelists were:
• Dr Naledi Mbude: Deputy Director-General for Special Projects at the National Department of Basic Education, and
• Professor Keolebogile Motaung: Director of Technology, Transfer and Innovation at Durban University of Technology, and
• Dr Mark Chetty: Director at the National Department of Basic Education. International assessment of the South African education

The panel’s moderator was my National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) colleague, Ms Palesa Tyobeka, Former Deputy Director-General for Planning and Delivery Oversight at the National Department of Basic Education, and currently Chairperson of the Education Sector in the NATCOM.

Prof Moeketsi Letseka participated as a panelist in the UNESCO Chairs Seminar Series on the theme, “Transforming Knowledge for Africa's Future: Advancing the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER)”. The session was chaired by:
• Dr Keith Holmes: Research Coordinator, UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, UNESCO, with support of
• Ms Zeynep Varoglu: Senior Programme Specialist, CI Sector, UNESCO.

The panelists were:
• Prof Glenda Cox, UNESCO Chair in Open Education and Social Justice, University of Cape Town (UCT).
• Prof Moeketsi Letseka, UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning (ODL), University of South Africa (UNISA).
• Dr Tel Amiel, UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (DE), University of Brasilia.
• Ms Michela Pagano, Associate Project Officer, Unit for Technology and Al in Education, Future of Learning and Innovation Division, UNESCO.
• Dr Lazarus D.K Dokora, Lecturer, Department of Languages & Communication Skills, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe.

The aim of the seminar was to generate awareness of the UNESCO Recommendation on OERs; to mobilise UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN networks; to strengthen collaborations between UNESCO Chairs, researchers and other experts in support of the UNESCO's Global Priority Africa, and to provide space for knowledge and experience sharing, round-table discussion, and active participation.

In August 2023 I invited Prof Manoj Joshi of Amity University, Noida, India to facilitate a research workshop on VUCA during the UNISA Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) conference that was held at the Emperors Palace Hotel, Kempton Park, Johannesburh during 14-17 August. This was timely because the notion of VUCA was subsumed in the theme of the conference:
• “ODeL in the Global South: Opportunities in times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA)”.

Proj Joshi and I had diner at the Braza Restaurant, Emperors Palace and hit it off immediately. We found out that we’re both ambitious and mercenary in our approach to scholarship. We also found out that we regard, and treat our scholastic pursuits as projects. We’re inclined to chase ‘BIG’ ideas that have regional and global impact. We’re time-bound, milestones and goal oriented in our attitudes towards scholarship. We exchanged scholarly books and agreed to pursue mutually beneficial (symbiotic) collaborative partnership in research areas of mutual interest.

On 18 October 2023 Prof Joshi gave a presentation at the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning (ODL)’s Research Seminar Series. The title of his presentation was:
• “The Future of ODL: Anticipatory to Foresightedness”

Prof Joshi and myself are currently exploring a possible nexus and synergy between Ubuntu, VUCA and ODeL. Our vision is to craft strategic foresight using anticipatory skills to map signals for Ubuntu, VUCA and ODeL. Our strategy was to create regional and global presence and visibility for our project through a series of short, punchy reflective articles in high impact global newspapers, magazines and Blogs.

Between us, to date we’ve published following articles in influential media publications in New York, London and Mumbai:
• Manoj Joshi. 2023. UNESCO Chair - Unisa on Open Distance Learning (ODL) embracing Ubuntu. ‘CEO World Magazine’, New York, 20 October.
• Moeketsi Letseka. 2023. How would Ubuntu respond to the crises in the world today’ London School of Economics Blog, Africa@LSE, 15 November.
• Moeketsi Letseka & Manoj Joshi. 2023. Ubuntu wisdom for resolving VUCA challenges, navigating the unexpected-unknown-unknowns. ‘Economic Times’, Mumbai, India, 18 November.
• Manoj Joshi & Moeketsi Letseka. 2023. Ubuntu and the art of knowledge management for organizational performance in VUCA world. Economic Times, Mumbai, India, 29 November.
• https://ceoworld.biz/2023/10/20/unesco-chair-unisa-on-open-distance-learning-odl-embracing-ubuntu/
• https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2023/11/15/how-would-ubuntu-respond-to-the-crises-in-the-world-today/
• https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/amp/news/education/ubuntu-wisdom-for-resolving-vuca-challenges-navigating-the-unexpected-unknown-unknowns/105307221
• https://government.economictimes.indiatimes.com/blog/ubuntu-and-the-art-of-knowledge-management-for-organizational-performance-in-vuca-world/105579614

In the coming months we’ll venture into ‘Harvard Business Review’, and ‘The Economist’. Our corporate communication and marketing drive will have achieved its objectives. We’ll then roll out the standard research and development, and community engagement activities - seminars, colloquiums, selected international conference presentations, and high level production of peer reviewed scholarship. 🙏🙏🙏😇😇😇

On 19 February 2021 the UNISA Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) Conference Organising Committee, which I chair announced the Second Call for Papers for the UNISA Virtual Open Distance e-Learning annual research conference, which was scheduled to be held during 4-6 August 2021. For wider global visibility we registered the conference with Academic Conferences Worldwide's Conal Conference Alerts, which is a conference promotional platform with over 300 000 subscribers. The aim was to attract interest from the African Continent and the international community. Our efforts yielded expressions of interest from 1300 delegates, with 17 African countries represented at the conference, while there were international delegates from 29 countries.

The aim of the UNISA International ODeL annual research conference is to generate debate in ODeL research, and to contribute to existing body of knowledge through publication of peer reviewed scholarly books. I'm humbled and honoured to share that yesterday the first volume of selected paper from the 2021 conference, “Mediating Open Distance e-Learning in the Advent of Global Crises”, was published by UNISA Press.

We’re currently managing the peer review process of selected papers from the 2022 UNISA International ODeL conference, which was themed, “All Things Research in ODeL”

As the Editors of the Book Series, myself, Prof Jeniffer Roberts and Dr Morikanyo Akintolu, we’re immensely delighted by the outcome of this project. We’re indebted to the team of dedicated ODeL scholars and administrators in conference organising committees - the Committee of ODel Experts with whom I'm privileged to work as the conference co-owner and Project Leader. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Conference Steeting Committee, chaired by Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Vice Principal: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation, which provides oversight and quality assures our work in the conference organising committee. Last, but not least we owe a huge debt and a deep sense of gratitude to the UNISA Press team that walked us through the book production processes with such candour, professionalism, consideration, and collegiality. UNISA Press Director, Dr Meiya Nthoesane; Project Editor, Hetta Pieterse; Copyeditor, Gail Malcomson; Graphic Designer, Thea Bester-Swanepoel, and Indexer, Dawie Malan.
🙏🙏🙏😇😇😇

We’ve come a long way here at the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning (ODL). As we approach the end of the first year of the UNESCO Chair’s second term (2023-2026) I thought it prudent to pause for a moment and take a few steps back down memory lane.

Towards the end of May 2019 I received a call from this energetic and ‘happy-go-lucky-looking’ young man. His name is Mofapohefi Obed (Obie) Mofokeng. He’s my late youngest sister, Selatsi’s only son,and therefore my nephew (Mochana in Sesotho). Apparently Obie had been blowing his Vivuzela about me at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), where he was Marketing Coordinator at the University Relations Office. He has since been snapped by Kaizer Chiefs at Naturena where he’s Digital Operations Specialist. Obie called me on my cell to alert me about an invitation I was about to receive from UJ’s ‘Cloud Debate’ office. I did receive a formal email invitation to participate in a panel discussion on 5 June 2019 at the UJ’s School of Business in Milpark under the theme “Questioning the answers: University Education and the Fourth Industrial Revolution". Many of you will surely understand why Ha-Mashamba, Limpopo singer, Makhadze’s song, ‘Connection’ is so powerful and pertinent.

The panel discussion, which was facilitated by Prof Yiva Rodney-Gumede, professor of communication studies, featured myself, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, who was then UJ’s Principal and Vice Chancellor. He’s now the 7th Rector of the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan. The other member of the panel was Prof Chris Adendorff of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).

We had robust discussions on the role higher education can play to facilitate and enhance the value-added benefits of the 4IR. We grappled with the glaring issue of digital exclusion, mainly due to the high cost of data, especially for the majority of students in disadvantaged family households and communities, who yearn for knowledge and information in order to make informed choices and decisions. Our collective view was that the role of universities should be to craft creative and proactive ideas from which governments can draw to formulate pro-poor policies that would ensure that the idea of 4IR is not a mere rhetorical pipe dream, but a realizable goal. We closed the discussion by reflecting on the prospects of the advent of the 5IR.

Amazingly, four years after that panel discussion the UNESCO Chair on ODL has escalated the issue and we’re now pushing the agenda and narrative on artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education through the UNISA International ODeL Annual research conference, and jointly with other international holders of UNESCO Chairs:
• Prof Huang Ronghuai: holder of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence (Al) in Education
Beijing Normal University.
• Prof. John Shawe-Taylor, holder of the
UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence (AI), University College London (UCL),
• Prof. Daniel Burgos, holder of the UNESCO Chair on e-Leaming, University of La Rioja, and with support from the office of
• Prof Zhan Tao: Director of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE).

Yesterday Beijing Normal University (BNU) hosted the China - Africa Policy Dialogue Forum on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED). The Forum recognised that the digital transformation of education powered by artificial intelligence is becoming the rising focus worldwide to support educational reform and development. The aim of the Forum was:
• (a) to foster a deeper understanding of the pivotal role that digital transformation powered by AIED plays in advancing education across the African continent.
• (b) to discuss and showcase successful digital education initiatives, strategies, and tools that have the potential to revolutionize learning experiences.
• (c) to facilitate meaningful interactions and knowledge exchange among educators, policymakers, technologists, and stakeholders, fostering collaboration to harness the power of digital technologies for improving education quality, accessibility, and inclusivity.
• (d) to identify actionable policy recommendations and innovative approaches that can drive the effective integration of digital technologies into diverse education systems throughout Africa, and
• (e) to contribute to the broader vision of enhancing educational outcomes and nurturing a digitally empowered generation capable of shaping Africa's future.

What should be of interest to the Unisa community in particular, and the South African higher education context in general is that the forum acknowledged the meeting of 19 August 2023 between the Director of UNESCO Institute of Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), Prof Zhan Tao, and the following holders of UNESCO Chairs at BNU:
• Prof. Daniel Burgos,UNESCO Chair on e-Leaming at the University of La Rioja, Spain.
• Prof. John Shawe-Taylor, UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence (AI) at UCL, UK.
• Prof. Moeketsi Letseka, UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning at the University of South Africa, and
• Prof Huang Ronghuai, UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence (Al) in Education at Beijing Normal University.

This China - Africa Policy Dialogue Forum was structured around the following sub-themes:
• The distinctive and collaborative roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders (e.g., leaders, policymakers, researchers, practitioners, technology and service providers) to promote the development and adoption of AIED in Africa.
• The benefits, challenges, and risks of applying AI in transforming education in Africa;
• Preparation for the safe adoption and use of generative AI and large language models in education
• Framework for human-machine collaboration and teaming-up in education.

The expected outcomes of the forum were:
• A short report summarizing what was discussed related to facilitating the safe adoption of AIED in Africa, and the potential collaboration between the two regions.
• Call for Community of Practice on AIED (CoP-AIED

As the year nears the end, I’m as busy as a bee. I can only express gratitude to UNESCO head office in Paris for bestowing me with the second term of the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning (2023-2026). And it gets better every day. I’ve come to realise that the busier I get with my UNESCO/UNITWIN and National Commission for UNESCO tasks, duties, and responsibilities, and age ‘gracefully’, the more creatitive and productive I get.
• On Thurday 25 November 2023 I’ll give a talk at UNISA’s College of Graduate Studies (CGS)’s Mini Seminar Series on Catalytic Niche Areas. The Mini Seminar Series is intended to serve as a catalyst for attendees' own thinking around possibilities for opting into various research niche areas.
• I received an invitation from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) to participate in the experts’ meeting on ‘Digital Competency Framework for Adult Educators'. The virtual meeting will be held on 30 November 2023. The engagement is one of four major components of a comprehensive project, "Shanghai Open University-UIL campus for international capacity development and research in lifelong learning", supported by Shanghai Open University that is taking place from 2023-2026.
• I've been invited to participate as a speaker at the upcoming UNESCO OER Dynamic Coalition online seminar, under the theme, "Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development in Africa: Advancing the OR Recommendation". The event takes place on Wednesday, 13 December 2023. The OER Dynamic Coalition discussion will delve into insight and strategies on how OR can support Africa in harnessing new and emerging technologies for sustainable development. The session aims to mobilize UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks in prioritizing the advancement of OER in Africa, contributing to the region's educational and developmental goals.
• Then on 19 December 2023 I’ll participate in the meeting of UNESCO Chairs at the invitation of Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira Paniagua, Director: UNESCO Chair in Distance Education (CUED) at the Spanish National University of Distance Education (UNED). The theme of the meeting is: “Education 2050. Vision and actions of the
UNESCO Chairs in Open, Digital and Distance Education in Building the Future”.

It never rains, but pours for me. I’m immensely blessed. My cup runneth over (Psalm 23:5-6).

It never rains, but pours the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learnjng (ODL) at UNISA. Thanks to Mr Edgar Rathelele, Senior Media Officer in the Division of Media Relations, UNISA Media Affairs 🙏🙏🙏😇😇😇

Praise for Unisa’s Ubuntu visionary Praise for Unisa’s Ubuntu visionary

The year end is just around the corner. It’s been a tradition that as Chair holder I should reflect on the year; celebrate the efforts of the dynamic young men and women who’re part of the UNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning’s research team and Secretariat, and share the Chair’s research highlights. I’m really blessed and privileged to be surrounded by young men and women with humble attitudes, strategic foresight and dependable work ethic.

I’m immensely indebted to the UNESCO Chair on ODL Secretariat’s efficient management of my daily schedule and routine. The Secretariat team really makes me a good boss with their professionalism. I’m undoubtedly proud of the cohorts of postdoctoral research fellows that I have been privileged to recruit from across the African continent, from Botswana, Egypt and Nigeria. I’m particularly humbled by the high volume and quality of the research and scholarship we’ve been able to drive and publish year in, year out. Here’re highlights of the UNESCO Chair on ODL’s PUBLISHED WORKS;
• Akintolu A & Letseka M. 2023. Investigating the awareness, use and challenges of open educational resources: A survey of an open distance e-learning-based institution in South Africa. In Jaco Olivier & Fawzi Baroud (eds) Open Education Resources and Open Pedagogy (pp.81-97). Axiom Academic Publishing: Potchetstroom.
• Akintolu, M., Letseka, M., & Olugbara, CT. 2023. E-Learning Readiness of Facilitators and Learners in Adult Literacy Programme: A Mixed-Method Enquiry. Journal of Educators Online, 20 (3) 1-12.
• Olugbara, C.T., Letseka, M & Akintolu, M 2023.
Student Support as a Panacea for Enhancing Student Success in an Open Distance Learning Environment, Journal of Educators Online, 20 (3), 1-13.
• Mntuyedwa V, Letseka M & Cronje J. 2023.
Implementation of a Multilingual Booklet to Accommodate First-Year Students with Academic.Proceedings of the 22nd European Conference on e-Learning ECEL 2023, pp.193-201.
• Letseka, M. 2023. Ethics and African Philosophy of Eduction. In Jonathan Chimakonam & Luis Cordeiro Rodrigues (eds) African Ethics: A Guide to Key Idea (pp.427-437). Bloomsbury: New York.
• Letseka, M. 2023. Social memory through posthumous remembrance. In Muxe Nkondo (ed) Social Memory as a Force of Social and Economic Transformation (pp.131-146). Routledge: Abington, Oxon, UK (previously published by UNISA Press and Freedom Park in 2021).
• Hambrock L, Mohamed A et al (eds) 2023.
Seamless Learning in Higher Education 2:
Comparisons from International Educators of Changes during a Global Pandemics. International Association of Mobile Learning.

Then here’re outputs that have been accepted for publication and are forthcoming:
• Letseka, M. 2024. Foreword. In Shahida Jansen. Masculinty Meets Humanity: An Adapted Model of Masculinised Psychotherapy. Routledge: Abington, Ixon, UK,
• Letseka M, Akintolu, M & El-bahay, M A. 2023. Refelections on recent developments in inclusive open and distance learning. West African Journal of Open and Flexible Learning.
• Letseka, M. 2023. How would Ubuntu respond to the crises in the world today? Africa@LSE, London School of Economics and Politics.
• Sefotho M & Letseka M. 2023. Botho/Ubuntu paradign as cognitive justice in psychology. School Psychology International (Sage).

We’ve also been busy on collaborations and internationalisation. Here’re some highlights:
• I facilitated the Commonwealth of Learning (Col) workshops on the development of the technology enabled learning (TEL) and open educational resources policy framework for the National University of Lesotho (NUL), and postgraduate students writing workshops at Sol Plaatjie University in Kimberly.
• I reveived an invitation to give a keynote address in August at the 2023 Global Smart Education (GSE2023) at Beijing Normal University, Beijjng, courtesy of the UNESCO Institute of Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), where I also forged collaborative research partnerships with the following UNESCO Chairs to drive research in artificial intelligence (AI) in education . The Chairs are:
• Prof Daniel Burgos: holder of the UNESCO Chair on Learning at the International University of La Rioja, Spain.
• Prof John Shawe-Taylor: holder of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence at University College London.
• Prof Huang Ronghuai: holder of the UNESCO chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education at Beijing Normal University,
• We hosted the successful UNISA Open Distance e-Learning annual research conference at the Emperors Palace hotel near OR Tambo International airport.

As this rich and diverse body of research activities and scholarly publications shows, I’ve every reason to be satisfied that the UNESCO Chair on ODL is living up to its mission as the Southern Africa ODL research excellence hub where great minds meet, exchange research ideas, cross pollinate and nurture the next cohorts of ODL academics, scholars and researchers.