We aim to offer our students an environment where they can learn according to their own schedule, and Google Apps has given us the means to vastly improve this experience.

Isaac Mbuthia, director of Information & Communication Technology Department

Challenge

With students accustomed to using smartphones and the latest technology in their personal lives, Strathmore University needed to address IT constraints and improve technological capability without increasing the IT budget. And as is true in many regions in Africa, unreliable broadband was a big issue that had to be tackled. Additionally, the university wanted to offer students and staff a more collaborative learning experience.

Solution

Google Apps for Edu offered a high-capacity, low-bandwidth, cloud-based email solution, along with a host of innovative collaboration features, including Google Docs and Google Calendar. The Strathmore administration realized that this was exactly the solution they needed, and implemented migration in just one week. Now Google Apps has been formally integrated into the university’s course structure, and Strathmore has been able to launch a new e-learning MA course in Philosophy and Ethics. This allows Strathmore to accept students from further afield, including Uganda and Tanzania.