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Newly launched MOOC on Africa’s development

Photo: Dylan Walters/Flickr
Photo: Dylan Walters/Flickr

Is Africa rising? That’s one of many questions covered in LUSEM’s newly launched open global online course (MOOC) – African development, from the past to the present. Taking on an economic history perspective of the continent, the course covers the past centuries – with an emphasis on the past hundred years.

With more than two decades worth of research and fieldwork on Africa, Lund University Economic History Professor Ellen Hillbom is the instructor of the course. The course spans five weeks, and covers the pre-colonial era, the colonial era, as well as the decades of liberation and independence. The final segment of the course arrives at the current and future challenges and opportunities of the continent.

Ellen Hillbom on her ambitions with the course African development, from the past to the present:

“My ambition has been to generate awareness on the economic history of Africa for anyone out there with an interest in the continent. I have tried to design the course in such way it is accessible and free from academic jargon. While I am sure the motives for signing up for the course vary, I truly believe there is a wide demand for learning more about the history of Africa across the world – even within the African continent. A global open online course fits well with such an ambition.”

Global open online courses (MOOCs) are fully online-mediated courses available to anyone. The course is a non-credit course, and the content is free to access. As an optional module, it offers a simpler form of examination – one that renders an electronic diploma upon completion.

The first course session started  on23 November 2020. As soon as the first session is completed, a new session will start – meaning that next session starts 28 December.

Interested? It is possible to browse the content today as well as pre-register for the second session starting at the end of December.

In late 2016, the Lund University School of Economics and Management launched its first ever global open online course on the topic of Digital Business Models. Recently, the course passed the 30,000 milestone of enrolled participants. People are joining from across the world, but outreach has been particularly strong in India. The course on Digital Business Models was re-launched and re-designed earlier this year, something that has been reflected in the increased number of enrolled entrants.

The Lead Producer and Informatics Lecturer, Markus Lahtinen, has participated in the production of both online courses:

“After three–four months of work it is always sense of accomplishment to launch a new course. I feel especially strongly about harnessing Ellen Hillbom’s expertise on Sub-Saharan Africa. Echoing Ellen’s words, I firmly believe in the global demand to learn more about Africa. I’d also like to praise Gustav Ehde, our Film Director, for a job well done. It takes skills to record and post-edit a full online course at the level of quality standards we expect.”

Read more about the MOOCs:

African development, from the past to the present on Coursera.org

Digital Business Models on Coursera.org

 

Ellen Hillbom

Ellen Hillbom
+46(0)46-222 74 86
ellen [dot] hillbom [at] ekh [dot] lu [dot] se (ellen[dot]hillbom[at]ekh[dot]lu[dot]se)

Markus Lahtinen

 Markus Lahtinen
+46 (0)46 222 91 59
markus [dot] lahtinen [at] ics [dot] lu [dot] se (markus[dot]lahtinen[at]ics[dot]lu[dot]se)