Strathmore University and Castalia Launch Feasibility Study for the Implementation of Mobile Learning
Strathmore University (Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya) and Castalia Co., Ltd. (Registered Main Office: Nagano, Japan / Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan / CEO: Satoshi Yamawaki, hereinafter “Castalia”) have signed a memorandum of understanding on March 18, 2015, to launch a feasibility study of “goocus pro” and “goocus 3”, the mobile learning platforms developed by Castalia, starting from April 2015.
At Strathmore University, the internal research institution @iLabAfrica has operated Safaricom Academy since 2011, with supports from Safaricom, the major mobile telecommunications company in East Africa. The Academy fosters human resources capable of the development of mobile applications. This feasibility study targets students in the Master of Science degree program specialized in Mobile Telecommunications and Innovation (hereinafter “MSc.MTI”) at the Academy, and provides them with an environment where they can be engaged in mobile learning socially.
The feasibility study will start with four courses in the Master program, namely “Research Methodology”, “Computer Graphics”, “Network Security”, and “Cryptography” to provide the students with mobile learning. The existing learning materials at Strathmore University will be used, with Castalia supporting the conversion to make them compatible for mobile learning.
With this feasibility study as a start, Strathmore University and Castalia plan to eventually extend the implementation of mobile learning to Strathmore’s Undergraduate Programs as well.
■ Strathmore University
Strathmore University (Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya) is a private university providing a wide range of specialized education from business to economy, information technology, and law. It was established in 1961 and is now home to almost 5,000 students from 14 countries. It is known with its active investments in ICT and as a result of the CPS Research International’s survey in 2012, it has been ranked number two of the Top 100 East African Universities, with the use of ICT as a benchmark.
URL：http://www.strathmore.edu/en/
■ @iLabAfrica
@iLabAfrica is the Center of Excellence in ICT Innovation and Development set up as an independent entity in the Faculty of Information Technology at Strathmore University. It conducts research and business incubation activities to encourage and grow entrepreneurship among students at Strathmore. Since joining forces with Safaricom in 2011, they offer the MSc.MTI course, as well as forming partnership with global corporations such as Google, Samsung Electronics, Ericsson, and IBM to name a few.
URL：http://www.ilabafrica.ac.ke/
■ Safaricom Academy
Safaricom Academy is a mobile application development facility that Safaricom founded in 2011 by forming partnership with Strathmore University and Vodafone. It offers the MSc.MTI program. Safaricom is Kenya’s largest mobile telecommunications carrier associated with UK’s Vodafone Group. M-PESA, the mobile banking service developed by Safaricom that allows money transfer through SMS and without having to own a bank account, is known as an example of “reverse innovation”, an innovation seen first at developing countries and then spreading to the industrialized world.
URL：http://www.safaricomacademy.org/
■ Castalia Co., Ltd.
Castalia Co., Ltd. (Registered Main Office: Nagano, Japan / Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan / CEO: Satoshi Yamawaki) is a company that develops solutions of educational digital contents, as well as operates web media specialized for learning. We bridge the content-distributing companies/educational institutions and the individuals, contributing to the creation of a new communication channel through learning and the improvement of quality.
URL：http://www.castalia.co.jp/
For more information, please contact:
Atsushi Inutsuka, Castalia Co., Ltd.
Email: info [at] castalia.co.jp
(note) Please change “[at]” to “@” when you send the e-mail.
At Strathmore University, the internal research institution @iLabAfrica has operated Safaricom Academy since 2011, with supports from Safaricom, the major mobile telecommunications company in East Africa. The Academy fosters human resources capable of the development of mobile applications. This feasibility study targets students in the Master of Science degree program specialized in Mobile Telecommunications and Innovation (hereinafter “MSc.MTI”) at the Academy, and provides them with an environment where they can be engaged in mobile learning socially.
The feasibility study will start with four courses in the Master program, namely “Research Methodology”, “Computer Graphics”, “Network Security”, and “Cryptography” to provide the students with mobile learning. The existing learning materials at Strathmore University will be used, with Castalia supporting the conversion to make them compatible for mobile learning.
With this feasibility study as a start, Strathmore University and Castalia plan to eventually extend the implementation of mobile learning to Strathmore’s Undergraduate Programs as well.
■ Strathmore University
Strathmore University (Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya) is a private university providing a wide range of specialized education from business to economy, information technology, and law. It was established in 1961 and is now home to almost 5,000 students from 14 countries. It is known with its active investments in ICT and as a result of the CPS Research International’s survey in 2012, it has been ranked number two of the Top 100 East African Universities, with the use of ICT as a benchmark.
URL：http://www.strathmore.edu/en/
■ @iLabAfrica
@iLabAfrica is the Center of Excellence in ICT Innovation and Development set up as an independent entity in the Faculty of Information Technology at Strathmore University. It conducts research and business incubation activities to encourage and grow entrepreneurship among students at Strathmore. Since joining forces with Safaricom in 2011, they offer the MSc.MTI course, as well as forming partnership with global corporations such as Google, Samsung Electronics, Ericsson, and IBM to name a few.
URL：http://www.ilabafrica.ac.ke/
■ Safaricom Academy
Safaricom Academy is a mobile application development facility that Safaricom founded in 2011 by forming partnership with Strathmore University and Vodafone. It offers the MSc.MTI program. Safaricom is Kenya’s largest mobile telecommunications carrier associated with UK’s Vodafone Group. M-PESA, the mobile banking service developed by Safaricom that allows money transfer through SMS and without having to own a bank account, is known as an example of “reverse innovation”, an innovation seen first at developing countries and then spreading to the industrialized world.
URL：http://www.safaricomacademy.org/
■ Castalia Co., Ltd.
Castalia Co., Ltd. (Registered Main Office: Nagano, Japan / Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan / CEO: Satoshi Yamawaki) is a company that develops solutions of educational digital contents, as well as operates web media specialized for learning. We bridge the content-distributing companies/educational institutions and the individuals, contributing to the creation of a new communication channel through learning and the improvement of quality.
URL：http://www.castalia.co.jp/
For more information, please contact:
Atsushi Inutsuka, Castalia Co., Ltd.
Email: info [at] castalia.co.jp
(note) Please change “[at]” to “@” when you send the e-mail.