The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has welcomed Dr. Karl Jones of Cardiff Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, who embarked a week-long working visit as part of a joint research initiative on transnational education.
Jones’ visit followed the recent award of a British Council grant to a combined research team of NOUN and Cardiff Metropolitan University to conduct the study.
A senior academic in computing at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Jones commended NOUN’s scale and structure, flexible exam systems, including on-demand and open-book formats, and its approach to quality assurance and assessment moderation.
He noted the university's extensive use of technology to manage learning and assessment for a large student population, and said there was much Cardiff could learn from NOUN’s experience.
The visitor expressed particular interest in NOUN’s e-ticketing system and student support infrastructure. “I’ve worked with partners in Sri Lanka and Morocco, but seeing how NOUN supports learners across 120 centres is impressive.”
This, he added, raises interesting questions about ensuring consistent student experience, something that matters deeply in transnational education.
According to him, the Cardiff Metropolitan University team is particularly interested in how NOUN maintains consistent quality and student experience across decentralised sites, an issue central to the success of transnational education.
The project, which is being led on NOUN’s side by Professor Juliana Ndunagu, is focused on developing scallable and context-relevant transnational education (TNE) models that serve both Nigerian and international higher education needs.
While receiving the visiting researcher on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Chiedu Mafiana, welcomed the partnership as a significant step toward strengthening academic collaboration between Nigerian and UK institutions.
He described the visit as a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, deepen institutional cooperation, and co-create strategies that improve the delivery of Open and Distance Learning.
“This collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University, made possible through the British Council support, speaks to our shared vision of advancing higher education beyond borders,” Mafiana said.
Speaking during the visit, NOUNs Registrar, Mr. Oladipo Ajayi, emphasised the university’s strong administrative backbone and commitment to academic collaborations.
He acknowledged the importance of the visit and reaffirmed the institution’s readiness to scale up cross-border learning, while also commending the team for facilitating the visit, managing documentation, and ensuring smooth logistics for the Cardiff delegation.
On her part, Professor Juliana Ndunagu, who leads the NOUN team on the joint project, provided an overview of the partnership’s evolution, stating that the project research process began in August last year and formally launched its first activities in January 2025 with the roll-out of surveys and internal assessments.
According to her, what makes it unique is its focus on transnational education, where a student in Nigeria can receive a UK degree from Cardiff Metropolitan University, and vice versa, stating that NOUN was laying the groundwork for something new in Nigerian higher education.
The visit included meetings with various NOUN units involved in academic planning, virtual learning, exam administration, and research coordination.
The discussions, it is hoped, would lay the foundation for further joint activities, including academic publications, staff training, and policy dialogue around transnational education frameworks.
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