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In 2023, the collaboration between Aga Khan University (AKU) and Academics Without Borders (AWB) entered a new, transformative phase that quietly but powerfully reverses the traditional flow of global capacity building. While AWB volunteers previously supported AKU, the expertise is now flowing in the other direction.

AKU's Network of Quality Teaching and Learning (QTL_net), particularly its Blended & Digital Learning (BDL) unit, developed the Online Teaching in Higher Education (OTHE) programme. This programme is now being delivered to institutions across low- and middle-income countries through AWB's volunteer network.

The OTHE programme emerged during the pandemic when AKU realized that simply moving face-to-face lectures onto Zoom was insufficient, especially for students facing connectivity issues or limited digital experience. In response, BDL launched the self-learning manual “Essentials of Online Course Design and Facilitation" and OTHE in 2021.

Designed as a blended learning experience, OTHE uses a bichronous format, combining asynchronous activities with weekly live sessions. This models the very pedagogical principles it teaches. The full four-course programme helps faculty rethink course design, create engaging and inclusive online environments, facilitate courses, and develop real-world assessments.

The programme's relevance soon attracted interest beyond AKU, leading AWB to approach the University about wider distribution. This sparked a collaboration that now reaches nearly 500 faculty and staff across 11 countries, including Kenya, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria. What makes this remarkable is that a programme developed in the Global South is now shaping online teaching across regions that need it most.

This partnership is built on a sustainable model: AKU trains AWB volunteers, who then co-facilitate OTHE, bringing it into their own networks. The result is a collaborative, contextual, and decolonized approach where knowledge flows both ways.

“This collaboration demonstrates how innovation can uplift educators across continents, proving that expertise grows stronger when it is shared," said Nancy Gallini, Executive Director, Academics Without Borders. “Together, AKU and AWB show that truly impactful learning emerges when knowledge flows in all directions, empowering participants as both teachers and learners. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on this innovative program, to continue learning from AKU, and to build on a partnership that is both productive and deeply inspiring."

Azra Naseem, Director BDL, and OTHE co-designer, reminds us why this work is important: “The future of online education demands models that are collaborative, decolonized, and rooted in local realities."

The impact is visible in every cohort. AWB volunteer, Gabriela Abbud from the University of Alberta, reflected on the diverse perspectives: “The diversity of perspectives enriched every discussion and shaped my own approach to online teaching."

Participants, like Dr Lucy Eunice Akinyi from Turkana University College Kenya, also feel the change: “The course enabled me to design inclusive content that has significantly improved learner performance."

OTHE's expansion affirms that institutions in the Global South are not only adopting global best practices – they are helping define them. It shows that innovation can thrive in contexts shaped by constraint, creativity, and resilience. Above all, it affirms a simple truth: When expertise is shared openly, everyone advances.