Annual Performance Report: Strengthening Higher Education Access in Malawi Activity (SHEAMA) FY 2021

Led by Arizona State University (ASU) and consortium partners, SHEAMA seeks to increase Malawi's skilled and employable workforce, particularly targeting adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The activity aims to build the capacity of and foster collaboration between five Malawian universities, enabling 14,940 students to attend tertiary education, with 5,976 of them being AGYW or otherwise vulnerable/disadvantaged youth and 3,735 studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. SHEAMA will cultivate Malawian universities' open and distance e-learning (ODeL) capacity, both on campus and in centers throughout the country, to ensure the system can grow quickly as energy and internet infrastructure become more reliable. In the interim, SHEAMA will offer affordable, user-friendly technologies and evolving innovations to help overcome impediments that currently leave 50,000 secondary school graduates each year without access to higher education. The program employs a systems approach to ensure that all stakeholders understand and value ODeL, incorporating change management principles to create leaders at all levels of engagement. The SHEAMA team recognizes the need for strong stakeholder engagement at different levels to achieve sustainable impact. Public universities must be responsive to market demands and market forces, which is why SHEAMA co-designs courses with partnering businesses and employs adaptive business approaches for the ODeL centers to adapt to market forces. This approach enables the program to address the complex challenges facing Malawi's higher education sector and promote inclusive and sustainable growth. SHEAMA's goal is to increase Malawi's skilled and employable workforce, particularly targeting AGYW. The program aims to build the capacity of and foster collaboration between five Malawian universities, enabling 14,940 students to attend tertiary education. SHEAMA will cultivate Malawian universities' ODeL capacity, both on campus and in centers throughout the country, to ensure the system can grow quickly as energy and internet infrastructure become more reliable. The program's focus on AGYW is critical, as they face significant barriers to accessing higher education in Malawi. By targeting this group, SHEAMA aims to promote greater gender equality and social inclusion in Malawi's higher education sector. The program's emphasis on STEM education is also crucial, as it will help address the country's skills gap and promote economic growth. SHEAMA's approach to building the capacity of Malawian universities is multifaceted. The program will provide training and technical assistance to university staff, faculty, and instructional designers to enhance their skills in ODeL and adaptive business approaches. SHEAMA will also establish a network of ODeL centers throughout the country, providing students with access to affordable, user-friendly technologies and evolving innovations. The program's impact will be measured through a range of indicators, including the number of students enrolled in tertiary education, the number of AGYW and vulnerable/disadvantaged youth participating in the program, and the number of students studying STEM subjects. SHEAMA will also track the program's financial performance, including expenditures and revenue generated through partnerships with businesses and other stakeholders. Overall, SHEAMA represents a significant investment in Malawi's higher education sector, with the potential to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, improve access to higher education for rural Malawian youth, and enhance linkages to employment and livelihoods.