This post was written by OER25 scholarship recipient Judith Pete (Tangaza University).
Indeed, it was a ‘Hopeful, Positive, Generative AI for OER’ attending OER25 in London sponsored by GO-GN. The experience offered me an important moment of synthesis, a space where my ongoing work on Open Educational Resources, Generative AI and African higher education converged. Presenting on “Hopeful, Positive, Global Generative AI for OER from African and Canadian Perspectives” together with my Canadian friend Jenni Hayman, allowed me to share how emerging technologies can meaningfully support global South–North knowledge exchange, rather than deepen digital divides.
This presentation came at a timely moment, aligning closely with my recently published article in the Asian Journal of Distance Education (AJDE) titled Assessing Awareness and Usage of AI Tools among Faculty and Learners in Higher Education Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper explored the realities of AI adoption on the continent: the opportunities, hesitations, and structural barriers that shape its use in teaching, learning, and research. Together, the presentation and the publication tell a complementary story: one of promise, hope, responsibility, and possibility in the future of AI supported openness.
Our OER25 talk emphasized a hopeful and positive approach to Generative AI, which should not be seen as a threat to academic integrity, nor as a tool for exclusion, but as a global, generative force for expanding access, creativity and educational equity for all. In African contexts, AI offers cost effective pathways for OER creation and localization, support for multilingual content generation, opportunities to reduce academic workloads, as well as tools for expanding learning opportunities in remote and hard to reach regions. Challenges like connectivity, awareness, training, and policy-readiness persists.
In the Sub-African study, I and my co-authors found that AI awareness among both faculty and students is growing rapidly, but knowledge is uneven. We also realized that usage is still moderate, often limited to simple tasks like idea generation, content search, translation, or quick summaries. Major barriers revealed were limited institutional support, fear of job displacement, lack of training, inconsistent internet, and fears of misuse. Yet, despite systemic obstacles, the interest and optimism remain strong where faculty and learners are eager to experiment and innovate.
What struck me most was the alignment between this research and the conversations at OER25, especially the speeches of the two keynotes: Helen Beetham and Joe Wilson. Around the world, educators and learners alike are trying to understand not just what AI can do, but how to use it meaningfully, ethically and inclusively.
Being sponsored by GO-GN to attend OER25 reinforced the importance of global research communities in sustaining open education. What GO-GN offers to its members and alumni is more than financial support. It is a space to develop ideas with experts who are generous colleagues, a platform to elevate on Global South realities, and a supportive network that values diversity in OER Scholarship.
Both my OER25 experience and the AJDE publication reaffirm a simple truth that educators and researchers everywhere are eager for a positive, hopeful narrative around AI; one that focuses not on fear, but on shared growth and global possibility. And that is exactly where Africa’s voice, experience and creativity belong: at the heart of the Global AI and OER movement.
Featured image by Judith Pete.
