The purpose of the African Council on Distance Education (ACDE) 2027 International Conference is to provide a continental and global platform for scholars, practitioners, policymakers, industry leaders, students, innovators, diplomats, and institutional stakeholders to critically engage with the transformation of open, distance, and digital education in Africa. In response to dwindling funding, geopolitics, rapid technological advancement and evolving students, the conference will explore how African higher education landscape can solve these grand societal challenges. The conference seeks to advance dialogue, research, and practice on how Africa has contributed epistemologies to the global problems. A key purpose of the conference is to strengthen African higher education systems by promoting innovative, ethical, inclusive, and sustainable digital transformation strategies that enhance access, quality, equity, relevance, employability, and learner success across diverse contexts.
It also seeks to foster collaboration among universities, policymakers, researchers, industry partners, and technology innovators to build resilient, open, and distance learning ecosystems that respond to Africa’s socio-economic development priorities. Ultimately, the conference aims to position African distance education at the forefront of global educational innovation while ensuring that technological advancement remains contextually relevant, ethically grounded, and socially responsive.