Vacancy: Interns to Provide Logistical Support for the 2015 2nd
International Conference of the AVU
1.0. Introduction
1.0. Introduction
The African Virtual University (AVU)
is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the
mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and
training through the innovative use of information communication
technologies.
The AVU has its headquarters in
Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country
Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.
The AVU Business Plan 2009-2014 has
two main thrusts: (a) Educational and support services provided on a fee basis;
and (b) Not-for-profit development services.
The Not-for-profit development
services aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions (PIs) with
an objective of increasing access to quality education through the following
activities: updating and developing content; Open Educational Resources (OER)
Development; AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); set up/upgrade ODeL
centers; developing professional networks through Communities of Practices;
Research and Development; and Quality Evaluation and Benchmarking.
Some of the Not-for-profit development services were delivered from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries.
The AfDB is funding a second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective of the AVU
Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network
of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and
training opportunities in 21 African countries.
The project has the following
activities:
(1) Establishment of new Open
Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centers and/or upgrading of exiting AVU Learning
Centers as well as Internet connectivity provision at AVU Partner
Institutions;
(2) Development and/or improvement,
and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU Capacity Enhancement Program
(ACEP); Teacher Education (TE), Computer Science (CS), and Peace and Conflict
Resolution;
(3) Gender Mainstreaming,
(4) Research and Development;
(5) Promotion and development of Open
Education Resources (OERs); and
(6) Enhancement of AVU Capacity .
The AVU Multinational Project II will
be implemented in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in the following 21 countries:
nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; three (3)
Lusophone African Countries: Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique; and nine
(9) Anglophone African Countries: Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
1.0. Research & Development
Research and Development is a new
area for the AVU and the objectives of the AVU R&D Unit include;
(1) strengthen capacity for quality
research in open, distance and e-learning (ODeL) in higher education in
Africa;
(2) identify research areas (e.g.
OERs, mobile learning) and conduct research related to AVU activities, such as
the MSPII;
(3) coordinate the implementation of
research in mobile learning;
(4) promote dissemination of ODeL
research by organizing international conferences and publication of a peer
reviewed open access online journal;
(5) strengthen the capacity of the
AVU to make strategic plans and to provide technical assistance on the basis of
research findings.
The AVU will be holding its 2nd
international conference on 2nd and 3rd July 2015 at the Crowne Plaza hotel in
Nairobi. Like the first conference in 2013, this conference will bring together
researchers, policymakers and practitioners seeking to make sense of the
challenges and explore emerging opportunities afforded by ICTs and open,
distance and e-learning (ODeL) in addressing issues of access, equity and
quality of higher education and training in Africa.
The AVU Research and Development unit
which is tasked with the responsibility of organizing the conference wishes to
engage interns who will provide logistical support for the conference according
to the details outlined below:
2.0. Qualifications
- Minimum: Bachelor’s Degree in Education or
related fields preferred.
- Strong communication and organizational
skills.
- Problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work as part of a team as well as
independently.
- Ability to collaborate with individuals from
different location and cultures.
- Self-starter and able to take initiative.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Language: Ability to write and communicate
proficiently in English. French or Portuguese desirable but not necessary.
- Familiarity with commonly used computer
applications e.g. Microsoft Office, the Internet etc.
- Experience presenting at, or supporting an
academic conference as an assistant, rapporteur etc
3.0 Scope of Work
Interns for the 2nd International
Conference of the AVU will be expected to:
- be present for the whole duration of the
internship;
- assist with document preparation the week
prior to conference;
- be of assistance to delegates;
- be of assistance to the AVU conference
planning committee and staff responsible for the conference;
- assist AVU staff at the Secretariat;
- welcome participants at the welcome reception
and gala dinner;
- assist in any other tasks assigned by the
Manager, Research & Development (conference chair) before, during and
after the conference.
4.0. Expected Deliverables
- To produce and organize conference documents.
After the conference, the R&D interns will assist with processing
post-conference paperwork/documents as assigned by the Manager, Research
& Development (conference chair).
5.0. Modalities of Work
The modalities of the work will be
agreed upon with the Manager, Research & Development.
i) Before the conference
- The interns will report to AVU – CVEI Office
on Lenana Road for a one-week preparatory time that will include document
preparation.
ii) During the conference
- Interns will attend the conference Wednesday
1st July – Friday 3rd July 2015 at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Upper Hill
area, Nairobi
- Lunch will be provided
- On Wednesday 1st July (6.45 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.)
there is a welcome reception. Interns have duties and are expected to
attend.
- Interns are expected to be friendly,
courteous, and professional and observe the AVU dress code for official
functions.
iii) After the Workshop
- The Interns will report to CVEI where they
will fill out an anonymous survey rating their experience as an AVU
intern. Comments and suggestions are recommended and encouraged.
- Assist in processing post-conference paperwork/documents.
6.0 Duration: The Interns will be expected to dedicate 10 days
to this internship with no exceptions.
7.0 Reporting: The
interns will report to the Manager Research & Development.
How to Apply
The successful candidates will be
appointed for a period of 10 days.
Interns will be contracted on short
notice.
Application must include an application letter and detailed curriculum vitae with a telephone number; email; and names with contact addresses of three professional references.
Applications should be sent to
job@avu.org and must have Intern for the 2nd AVU International Conference as
the email subject
The closing date for this application
is Friday day June 19th 2015 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3)
Note: ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Website: www.avu.org
The African Virtual University
(AVU) is an equal opportunity employer.
