This programme is delivered under the Pan African Virtual and E-University (PAVEU), an African Union flagship initiative, in partnership with UNESCO IICBA (contract PAU/PAVEU-ISP-003-2026). It aims to empower female teachers and school leaders working in crisis-affected and fragile education contexts by strengthening their pedagogical, digital, and leadership capacities so they can sustain quality learning for their students despite disruption.

The curriculum is organized into a series of self-paced eCourses, including Practical AI Literacy and Classroom Integration, Digital Inclusion and Equality, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, and Leadership and Team Management. Each course is transfer-focused: participants leave every unit with a classroom-ready artifact (lesson pack, policy, rubric, or workflow) they can apply immediately in their own setting. No technical prerequisites are required.

Courses are designed to be mobile- and low-bandwidth-friendly, with asynchronous delivery, downloadable materials, captioned videos, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility targets, so participants can learn even where connectivity and infrastructure are limited. Learners are supported by a peer discussion forum and an online tutor, and certification is awarded upon successful completion of the graded assignments and assessments in each course.

Leadership & Team Management

WTEACH2.0

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

WTEACH2.0

Digital Inclusion and Equality: Designing Equitable Digital Futures

WTEACH2.0

Practical AI Literacy and Classroom Integration

WTEACH2.0

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Welcome to PAVEU

VISION To be a leading centre of excellence in providing open access to online higher education and research for the advancement of Africa.

PAVEU — Open Access to Higher Education

A pan‑African online university platform delivering accredited, modular degree programs to expand equitable access to tertiary education across the continent.

PAVEU Research and Innovation Network

A collaborative research ecosystem connecting universities, researchers and industry to drive transnational projects, knowledge transfer and locally relevant innovation.

Connexion

Our Featured Courses

Post graduate

Certified Program

Self-Paced Courses

Contact us

Contact

For any questions, write to us or call our team.

Email: contact@pau-au.africa
Phone: +237 222 217 090 - +237 222 217 332
Adress:P.O Box 5383 Yaoundé Cameroon

Send a quick message

Introduction

The African Union has adopted Agenda 2063, the continent’s collective vision and roadmap for the next 50 years. Science, Technology and Innovation are recognized as key drivers for achieving Africa’s development goals. Sustained growth, competitiveness and transformation will require investments in education, health, bio-sciences, agriculture, and clean energy.

One of the aspirations of Agenda 2063 is to catalyze an Education and Skills revolution and actively promote science, technology, research and innovation. The Pan African Virtual and E-University (PAVEU) is one of the AU’s flagship projects designed to accelerate human capital development by leveraging digital technologies and open access to tertiary education.

Vision

To be a leading centre of excellence that provides open, equitable and internationally recognised access to online higher education and research across Africa. PAVEU will foster a pan‑African learning ecosystem that nurtures critical thinking, scientific inquiry and innovation, empowering learners to contribute to sustainable development, regional integration and global competitiveness.

Mission

To deliver inclusive, quality‑assured and relevant tertiary education and research opportunities to Africans anytime and anywhere. PAVEU will combine robust academic standards, learner support services and cutting‑edge digital pedagogy to expand access, improve employability and stimulate research that addresses continental priorities. Through partnerships with universities, industry and governments, PAVEU will promote lifelong learning, professional upskilling and knowledge transfer that accelerate Agenda 2063.

Scope

PAVEU will provide a comprehensive range of programmes and services spanning undergraduate, postgraduate, professional and continuing education. It will prioritise scalable Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) resources, blended delivery models and modular credentials to meet diverse learner needs. The scope includes curriculum development, faculty capacity building, research collaboration, digital infrastructure deployment, student support for remote and underserved communities, and mechanisms to ensure quality assurance, recognition and articulation across African higher education systems.

Objectives

Expand access to quality tertiary and continuing education across Africa.
Guarantee access to the University from anywhere, anytime.
Develop infrastructure and support systems for rural and disadvantaged urban areas.
Strengthen pedagogical and research capacity of African institutions.
Raise the global standing of the Pan African University.
Promote demand-driven education programs.

Context and Rationale

The proposal to operationalize PAVEU was endorsed in 2017 and approved in 2018. Hosted at the PAU Rectorate in Yaoundé, Cameroon, PAVEU builds on the Pan African University’s vision of excellence in Science, Technology, Innovation, Humanities and Governance. Its primary purpose is to maximize student access to quality, relevant and credible programs through digital technologies.

Programs & Courses

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The Power of Collaboration – Strengthening PAVEU’s Impact

The Pan African Virtual and Electronic University (PAVEU) thrives through strategic partnerships that unite expertise, innovation, and shared vision. Each collaboration — with UNESCO, the African Union, PRIDA, and other global and regional actors — amplifies the reach and quality of digital education across Africa.

These alliances are not merely institutional; they represent a collective commitment to transforming education. By pooling resources and knowledge, PAVEU ensures that African learners, educators, and leaders gain access to world-class content, mobile learning technologies, and inclusive digital platforms that respond to the continent’s realities.

Key Benefits of Collaboration

Integration of innovative technologies through partnerships with leading EdTech firms.
Capacity building for teachers and school leaders in crisis and post-crisis contexts.
Joint development of multilingual, mobile-friendly learning platforms accessible across Africa.
Promotion of gender equality and empowerment through targeted training initiatives.
Strengthening of Pan-African cooperation in research, innovation, and digital policy.

Together, these collaborations form the backbone of PAVEU’s mission: to democratize higher education, foster innovation, and empower Africa’s youth to lead the digital transformation of the continent.

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Reasons to Join PAVEU

Excellent online course content produced by world-class scholars.
A broad network of academic and professional partners across Africa and beyond.
PAU certificates that strengthen your CV and professional credentials.
Vibrant, multicultural and Pan-African online learning environments.
Flexible learning: self-paced access from anywhere, anytime, allowing modular and multidisciplinary study paths linked to blended learning opportunities using existing PAU infrastructure.
Supportive environment: tutors and facilitators provide academic guidance, advice and study support.
Social engagement: students connect through online conferencing, study networks and course forums.
Self-paced learning: students have more time to assimilate materials and concepts at their own rhythm.

Call for Application

Qualified, talented and enterprising applicants from African countries and the African Diaspora are invited to apply for online courses offered by the Pan African Virtual and E-University (PAVEU). Each candidate may register and enrol for any of the featured courses below:

Postgraduate
Certified Program
Certified Courses
Self-paced Courses
MOOC
Cooperation with Partners

Admission Requirements

Applicants must be citizens of an African Union member state, aged 18 or above, and must provide the following:

National passport or ID (personal details page).
Scanned coloured passport-size photograph.
Detailed CV.

Candidates with potential, motivation and a desire to play transformative leadership roles as professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs are particularly encouraged to apply.

Kindly Note

All courses will be pursued and completed online only. Certificates will be issued upon successful completion. Registrations open from DD December 202Y, and courses commence from DD MM 202Y.

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Pan African University Mini-grid – Digitization – Entrepreneurship (PAU-MDE)

The Pan African University Mini-grid – Digitization – Entrepreneurship (PAU-MDE) is an online postgraduate programme designed to strengthen youth entrepreneurship capacities across the continent. It aims to achieve this by developing technical and entrepreneurial skills in the mini-grid sector, empowering participants to create smart micro-grid businesses and startups in Africa.

PAU-MDE’s curriculum functions as an Entrepreneurship Incubator. It integrates actors, stakeholders and the specificities of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in Africa — including Tech-Hubs, Fab-Labs/Maker spaces, mentoring and business angels, pitch competitions, and more — with the strengths of higher education systems. The programme is geared toward building skills and competences for setting up startups in a flexible and agile manner.

The programme has been developed by the Pan African University Institute for Water and Energy Sciences, with support from the Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GESCI).

Pan African Health Information, Resources and Training Partnership (PAHIRTP)

The Covid‑19 pandemic represents a major threat for African countries. Information and the contribution of journalists to strengthen citizens’ resilience to COVID is very important to mitigate the effect of the pandemic.

The Pan African Health Information, Resources and Training Partnership (PAHIRTP) brings together the African Union, UNESCO and further partners with the aim to train and strengthen capacities of journalists in sharing lifesaving information, debunking disinformation on COVID‑19, and empowering citizens to make evidence‑based health decisions. The initiative critically engages communities to prevent the COVID‑19 “disinfodemic”.

The initiative builds on synergies, capitalizing on resources, expertise, capacities and ongoing activities of the members of the partnership, in line with its goals.

Key Components

Online Capacity Building and Training Program on Media Information Literacy and Pandemic (case study: COVID‑19).
The Pan Africa COVID‑19 Media Hub and Resources Centre.
Pan African COVID‑19 Communication and Awareness Raising Campaign.

The Online Capacity Building and Training Program on Media and Science Communication (case study: Health) is an online training program designed and implemented by UNESCO and PAVEU. It covers topics such as “Health Communication Skills for Journalism”, “Online Health Fact Checking”, and “Media and Information Literacy”.

Internet Governance Advanced Course – PRIDA Initiative

The African Union Commission on Energy and Infrastructure has contacted PAVEU for the elaboration and deployment of an asynchronous virtual advanced course on Internet Governance in the frame of the Technical Assistance for the Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA).

PRIDA is a joint initiative of the AU, the EU and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), enabling the African continent to reap the benefits of digitalization by addressing broadband demand and supply, and building the capacities of AU Member States in the Internet Governance space. It is supported by the EU-funded Pan African Programme.

The purpose of the Internet Governance courses is to equip decision makers, senior managers and practitioners in Africa with knowledge on Internet governance and digital policy issues. The training covers political, legal, economic, socio-cultural, and technological aspects of Internet governance, linking global issues with national and regional digital policies.

The training includes thematic lessons; each lesson features a lecture by experts, followed by discussions with participants. Practical exercises and debates in group settings are also included. Preparatory materials are available on the PAVEU digital platform.

The target audience is broad, but also addresses specialized groups such as students of Economics, Law, Political Sciences, Communication and Information Technologies. The course is offered as self-paced modules with automatic badges or certificates of completion, and as facilitated/tutored courses integrated as electives in the master degree program at PAUGHSS.

Cooperation with UNESCO – TICAD 9 Project

The Pan African Virtual and Electronic University (PAVEU) collaborates with UNESCO IICBA and Japanese partners under the TICAD 9 Supplementary Budget to empower female teachers and school leaders in crisis situations. The initiative integrates mobile-based learning solutions to strengthen resilience and ensure access to quality education.

The project focuses on five Pan African University host countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Algeria, Cameroon, and South Africa) as hubs, while also engaging countries with displaced populations such as Chad, South Sudan, and Uganda. Duration: March 2025 – March 2026. Tentative budget: US$ 1,500,000.

Project Objectives

Develop a mobile-friendly learning and knowledge-sharing platform optimized for smartphones, with offline access and low data usage.
Create certificate courses addressing crisis education challenges (e.g., mental health, ICT in education, gender/conflict-responsive pedagogy, school management).
Pilot and refine the platform through feedback from selected groups.
Engage local and international actors to reach target audiences and continuously improve learning experiences.

The initiative is implemented with the AU’s Pan African University Rectorate (Yaoundé, Cameroon) and Castalia Co., Ltd (Tokyo, Japan), leveraging Castalia’s mobile learning platform GOOCUS. UNESCO IICBA coordinates the project with support from the Japanese government.

Rationale

The project responds to urgent educational disruptions in Africa due to conflicts, displacement, and climate-induced crises. It aligns with Japan’s TICAD commitments to “invest in people” and leverages innovative mobile technologies to provide accessible, consistent learning opportunities even in low-connectivity environments.