Kenyan Students leveraging AI to further their education abroad

By Steve UMIDHA

When Kenyan students are looking to further their education abroad, the UK, US, Canada, Malaysia and Australia are the most common options.

But Australia in particular has consistently attracted Kenyan learners who prefer the favorable weather and flexible study and work programs and regulations in that country, and that interest continues to grow.

Figures by a student – recruitment agency – EduCare International, thousands of Kenyan students continue to go through the Australian education system because of the above reasons.

Educare International, an agency that has been assisting students from East and Central Africa to study in Australia, says Kenyans constitute the highest student community in Australia from Africa.

Every year, nearly 1,500 Kenyan students fly to Australia to undertake undergraduate and graduate studies. It’s not just Kenyans that find Australia appealing, international students have made Australia the third most popular destination for education in the world.

But why do students choose to travel for 15 hours covering over 10,000 kms to fly down under for studies? Omar Mohamed, a Director at Educare International says word of mouth and smart marketing strategies have been the main impetus for the popularity of Australia as a preferred study destination.

“We are also seeing a good number migrating to Australia to take up these emerging courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Climate change. AI in particular, is changing the landscape of eLearning in higher education through its predictive analysis tools,” he says.

Adding that, predictive analytics for student success are an exciting application of AI technology that aims to identify patterns and make predictions about students’ academic performance, engagement, and overall success – predicting that the trend will persist in the years ahead.

AI tools can provide instant feedback on assignments and exams, helping students understand their strengths and areas for improvement. AI tools can provide support for students with special needs, including translation services, voice recognition, and visual or auditory aids.

But it is the increasing interest among higher education learners in eSports as a bourgeoning career that is gradually catching the attention of industry observers with an increasing number of young people now taking up bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree programmes in eSports or e-gaming, albeit abroad.

With its growing popularity, an increasing number of Kenyan students are now looking for relevant skills from higher learning institutions offering esports majors to provide them with hands-on learning experiences and practical skills related to the gaming industry.

 According to Professor Deborah Gare from Murdoch University – a public university in Perth, Western Australia, after graduating with an esports major, students can pursue a wide range of career paths in the gaming and esports industries.

Speaking in Nairobi at a breakfast meeting with its local agents, Deborah said that the number of Kenyan students seeking such opportunities has been on the rise with many now keen on moving to Australia to advance such careers.

“Ask anyone who’s studied here, there’s something special about us. The bachelor’s of Creative Media in games Art and Design is a practice – led program that gives students who walk into our campuses expertise in industry best practices for art asset workflow and game creation,” offers Gare – a researcher and award-winning professor and Pro Vice Chancellor at the University.

Adding that, students can work in game design, programming, art and animation, quality assurance, event management, digital marketing, journalism, broadcasting, and education, among others with Australia now a preferred learning destination for Kenyan learners.