Gulu University has started a baby step towards developing and transforming education in the direction of Open, Distance, Electronic, and Lifelong Learning (ODELL) last week.
The ceremony was presided over by Gulu University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Openjuru George Ladaah at the main campus on July 23rd ,2025.
Prof. Openjuru Committed that the university shall gradually enrol ODELL for all programmes being offered at the university.
Later in the day, an expert panel convened to discuss the philosophical underpinnings of ODEL at the University Boardroom. The discussion was designed to stimulate genuine thinking and reflection.
VC speaking on widening and deepening Lifelong Learning.
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ODELL is driven by several principles, values, and traditions, which were discussed as follows;
Indigenous knowledge systems and trans -disciplinarity by Prof. Catherine Odora Hoppers and Dr. Agatha Alidri.
The two discussed the value of extensively understanding culture to help develop people projects, and the importance of achieving indigenous knowledge and the benefits of looking at knowledge holistically.
Widening and deepening Lifelong Learning. This was discussed by Prof. Openjuru. He was very elated by the department because of its inclusive nature and opportunities for growth and development that come with ODELL.
He also argued that the participants should continue having the thirst for knowledge in the community because it is a key strategy for community transformation.
Dr. Josje Van Der Linden right UNESCO chair
Other speakers like Perez, Chief ICT, Gulu University, spoke on digital transformation and ODEL at the institution. Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe of African Rural University and Dr. Asaf Adebua the Chief University Planner shared on Community engagement and transformation, and lastly Dr. Josje van der Linden and Dr. David Monk on community-based research and participatory action research (PAR).
Mwalimu Musheshe from African Rural University
Finally, the ODELL department was officially launched by Dr. Ofuyuru Thaddeus, the Dean Faculty of Education and Humanities at his then capacity as acting Deputy Vice- Chancellor.
ODELL is being supported by UNESCO Chair for Life Learning, Youth and Work and Building Stronger Universities Project (BSUIV) that supports it under the thematic area of transforming education and Lifelong Learning.
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