UEW Explores Strategic AI-Powered eCampus Partnership with Astria Learning
A high-level delegation from Astria Learning, a global educational technology organisation based in Tampa, Florida, has engaged the Management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), in discussions about a potential partnership aimed at launching an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered eCampus at the university.
The meeting, held on Monday, 8th December 2025, at the Council Chamber, explored transformative opportunities to expand access to higher education and enhance UEW’s digital capabilities in teaching, learning and academic support.
Led by its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jeff Bordes, the Astria Learning team expressed a strong interest in selecting UEW as its exclusive institutional partner in Ghana under a new operational model focused on technology-enabled expansion of university education across Africa.
He noted that the proposed collaboration is not a software sales engagement but rather a long-term strategic partnership aimed at enabling UEW to scale its academic reach through an AI-supported virtual learning ecosystem.
Dr. Bordes attributed Astria Learning’s renewed business model to the rapidly evolving technological landscape which is gradually reducing dependence on proprietary software development worldwide. “We are shifting from being simply software providers to becoming facilitators of knowledge. Across Africa, young populations are expanding rapidly, yet physical infrastructure alone cannot meet the growing demand for higher education. Our goal is to partner with UEW to build an AI-powered eCampus that increases access without compromising academic quality,” he stated.
Highlighting Africa’s demographic trends, Dr. Bordes observed that around 80,000 young people turn 18 every day in the region, creating enormous pressure on tertiary institutions. He pointed out the low tertiary enrolment rate, currently around 9% and the continent’s limited postgraduate output as critical challenges requiring innovative responses. Through the proposed partnership, Astria Learning aims to collaborate with UEW to develop agile, industry-aligned curricula, increase postgraduate enrolments and support Africa’s ambition to produce one million PhDs by 2035.
He emphasised that Astria Learning would bring capital investment, technological infrastructure, global marketing, digital library resources, proctoring systems, and AI-powered academic support tools to ensure a seamless learner experience.
The company’s Global Operations Coordinator, Ms. Ana Eristavi, outlined the suite of digital solutions Astria Learning has developed including the Astria AI Learning Management System, a cloud-based campus management system, a 24/7 AI help desk, a vast e-library of over 170,000 e-books, plagiarism detection tools and an advanced online proctoring platform.
She stressed that these systems are designed to uphold quality, integrity, and student engagement in fully online environments. “Our tools ensure that learners everywhere feel supported, connected and guided throughout their online learning journeys,” said Ms. Ana Eristavi.
The Vice-Chancellor of UEW, Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual, commended the Astria Learning team for their forward-looking proposals and acknowledged the urgent need for universities to adapt to evolving educational technologies. He emphasised that benchmarks such as traditional faculty–student ratios must be reconsidered in light of AI-supported teaching models. “Education is changing. Some of the standards used years ago may no longer be adequate in the context of modern technological realities,” he remarked.
Prof. Mitchual also welcomed Astria Learning’s interest in partnering with UEW but stressed the need for due diligence, particularly regarding institutional responsibilities, timelines, risk sharing and the sustainability of the proposed revenue models. He assured the delegation that UEW would form a technical team, comprising ICT, teaching and legal experts, to examine the proposal and advise management.
The Vice-Chancellor further noted the growing preference among modern learners for flexible, technology-supported learning experiences and indicated that UEW remains committed to innovative pathways that expand access while maintaining academic integrity. The university, he added, looks forward to receiving the full proposal for evaluation. “Whatever the case, the final Memorandum of Understanding will clearly outline the duties and obligations of each partner,” he stated.
Astria Learning, which has collaborated with institutions such as the University of Malawi, Copperbelt University, Makerere University and the University of Zambia, hopes to add UEW to its exclusive list of African partners as it seeks to lead a continent-wide digital transformation of higher education. If approved, the proposed collaboration is expected to commence implementation in the second quarter of 2026.
