The University of Joseph KI-ZERBO (UJKZ) officially launched the DIGIT-OACs research project on November 2, 2026, to study digital transformation in African universities. The project is funded to the tune of 313,000 euros, approximately 200 million FCFA, and aims to analyze the impact of digital technology on higher education and research in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Kenya. The project will run for four years and seeks to understand the usage of digital technology within African university institutions.
The launch ceremony took place at the university's doctoral school, presided over by Dr. Serge Noël OUÉDRAOGO, representing the university's president, Professor Antoine BÉRÉ. The event was followed by a methodological workshop that brought together research teams from the three countries, both in person and online. The project's director, Dr. Natéwindé SAWADOGO, emphasized the need to study how university actors adopt digital technologies and their impact on teaching, research, and management.
The research project will focus on the usage of digital technology by teachers, researchers, and other university staff. It will examine professional practices, institutional policies, infrastructure, and dynamics that accompany the digital transition. The study will be conducted in universities in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Kenya, allowing for a comparison of national experiences and identifying convergences between different academic professions.
Dr. SAWADOGO explained that the project aims to understand how teachers and researchers make choices regarding digital technology in their pedagogical and scientific activities. The project also includes a training component for doctoral and postdoctoral students, with the support of a scientific council. The research findings will be published in scientific journals and communicated through various activities.
The project is funded by 313,000 euros, with 80% of the resources allocated to the Burkinabè team. The knowledge produced is expected to inform policies and strategies for digital transformation in universities and research centers. The project's findings will help identify the conditions under which digital technologies are integrated into professional practices and institutional devices.
Dr. Serge Noël OUÉDRAOGO, representing the university's president, welcomed the launch of the project, highlighting its relevance to the digital transformation of higher education. He emphasized the need to understand the changes induced by digital technologies in universities and research centers. The cooperation between scientific institutions, facilitated by Africa Multiple, was also underscored.
A three-day workshop followed the launch ceremony, bringing together research teams to define the operational bases of the study. The teams worked on harmonizing research protocols, identifying participating universities, and establishing a work schedule. The exchanges also focused on collaboration modalities between teams from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Kenya, as well as linguistic considerations.
Key points
- The University of Joseph KI-ZERBO has launched a 200 million FCFA research project to study digital transformation in African universities.
- The project, DIGIT-OACs, aims to analyze the impact of digital technology on higher education and research in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Kenya.
- The research findings will inform policies and strategies for digital transformation in universities and research centers.
