Foreword by Luis Lopez
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board
Dear Communities of Honoris,
It is with great pride that I present you the inaugural impact report of Honoris United Universities. While the world we face is challenging, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic enters a third year, I sincerely commend and recognize all of you, individually and as the communities of Education for Impact, for representing and living this mission over the last years and in the coming ones. Thank you for your engagement and contributions to this grand principle.
Journey to Delivering on Education for Impact
Shared purpose and goals
Honoris is a strong purpose-driven organization. Our success reflects this; our founders and institutional leaders share this passion. Fundamentally, the institutions across the network are united in the purpose of delivering learning, skills, and experiences that are relevant and meaningful to students and employers across the continent. As the Pan-African network grows, we will continue to seek this in future organizations that may join or partner with us.
The founders of the member institutions of Honoris United Universities are pioneers in their countries and visionaries of private higher education in the continent. Aware of the vital need for their communities to develop human capital, they worked for decades to build unique and demanding academic models with the dual objectives of developing the employability and the life skills of their graduates.
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Focus on the individual
Honoris follows a student-centric approach in its endeavors. We emphasize providing Education for Impact to our students. It is in providing the utmost support, opportunities, engagement, interactions, skills, relevant curricula, placements, and life-long connections that Honoris intends to fuel academic, professional, entrepreneurial and civic leaders.
When considering Education for Impact, Honoris’ decisions are aimed unequivocally at student success.
Reimagining education
As we face the middle decades of the 21st century, Honoris advocates a reimagining of education. This is why Education for Impact is noteworthy. Today’s students need learning institutions that can help them prosper in the new world of work and in meeting the future demands of the labor markets. Our educational solutions incorporate multidisciplinary, diverse, and practical educational input. As such, we have reset our learning environments, traditional and digital, to reflect 21st century requirements and to engender and instill collaborative, entrepreneurial and tech-enabled experiences.
Students prepared to meet the needs of the 21st century and for sustainability
Honoris aims to bridge the gap between current educational models and the evolving models that will cater to the 4IR. Honoris’ graduates will enter the world of work empowered with high cognitive skills and digital literacy competencies that are necessary to navigate our changing world. Moreover, as these future generations of leaders assume greater impact, we will seek to fuse their potential lifetime of contributions to solutions articulated by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (https://sdgs.un.org/goals).
Operating Context
Student populations pursuing tertiary education are growing
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the number of students pursuing tertiary education globally has grown continuously over the past two decades.
With this escalated demand for education, investment in the development of well-trained youth and in the creation of employment opportunities is critical. Africa has the greatest youth demographic globally, which in turn points to education as a singular transformative macro solution.
Diverse education ecosystems are essential
The responsibility to innovate rests on the shoulders of education institutions, NGOs, governments, employers and entrepreneurs. Such ecosystems can provide the scale and scope required to educate across the continent.
Private investment and increased collaboration between the private and public sectors will play crucial roles in the development of education in Africa.
Changing demands require new skill sets
Employers have accelerated their demands for a workforce skilled and ready to be integrated into their plans.
The pressure on traditional education systems is clear and this is also a challenge facing higher education in African countries – the need to develop relevant infrastructure to ensure the transfer of high-quality skills that are necessary for entry into the 21st century job markets.
A pandemic-induced crisis and an evolving new normal
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the education of more than 1.5 billion students globally.
The urgency and agility now required will produce new templates for reaching and supporting these communities – a new normal.
Key Board of Directors' Initiatives
COVID-19 impact
Honoris has been upholding two primary mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) Care of its Communities with urgency and mindfulness, and (2) Continuation of Studies, enabled by a focus on pursuing digitalization over the last five years.
Pan-African and strategic expansions
Honoris seeks partnerships to foster high quality multicultural Pan-African education and intends to extend its network to new parts of the African continent. Our strong organic growth will be complemented by select M&A initiatives that bring exciting opportunities in new geographies and segments.
Student centricity with technology as an enabler
At Honoris, the student at the center is existential and we will leverage technology and digital partners to enable new approaches in pedagogy, in faculty readiness, in employability and in outcomes to drive further student success. Our employability, skilling, digitization and digital strategies are the highest priorities.
Performance
Honoris has delivered strong quantitative and qualitative results. This momentum will be secured.
New normal
New entrants to the market are creating innovative paths and solutions. Honoris will cement and accelerate its alliances and investments with strategic world-class organizations in line with its agile and pioneering spirit.
Outlook for the year ahead
Our outlook continues to be shaped by purpose and impact. Honoris as a platform intends to expand, adding institutions, accreditations, and partners in new markets, segments and verticals.
In our communities, we will continue to provide quality learning that is relevant and accessible, with investments in infrastructure and technology to drive future-fit and world-class African human talent. We will regularly engage with key stakeholders to remain in tune with, and respectful of, needs, interests and expectations.
In conclusion
We are grateful to each and every student and graduate who chose us to provide and to steer their education and development. We thank you, your families, friends and advocates for undertaking the journey that is learning. We strongly believe, as you do, that education is a certain path, and Honoris United Universities reaffirms its commitment to you and to our communities.
We are “Education for Impact” and this purpose across Africa is steadfast across the challenges and opportunities we’ll encounter. We look forward to what’s to come, together with you.
Luis Lopez
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board