What We Do
We co-create a National Education Research Agenda in Kenya to ensure research aligns with national priorities.
What We Address
Low Impact and Productivity
Africa-based researchers contribute only 3 percent of the global share of education research.
Relevance
Most research is disconnected from the needs of communities and the education system due to a lack of a national research agenda.
African Perspectives
Academic research often utilizes Western frameworks/theories to interpret African realities.
Limited Communication
Research findings are often not packaged effectively for end-users, leading to little impact on policy and practice.
Capacity Gaps
Many researchers and institutions lack the capacity for deep inquiry, analysis, grant management, and effective research translation.
Low Funding
Up to 90 percent of African education research is self-funded, and international sources fund most of the remainder, with African philanthropy rarely prioritizing research.
HERI-Africa delivers its work through six interconnected pillars, each aligned to the continent’s long-term vision for research relevance, equity, inclusion, and impact.
Our Activities
Guide Research through the National Agenda
We continually guide and align education research with national priorities by maintaining the National Education Research Agenda (NERA), ensuring research is always relevant and evidence-driven.
Build and Sustain Researcher Capacity
We run the Centre for Education Research and Innovation (CERI) at the CUE as the central hub for building an intergenerational pipeline of African researchers through continuous training and skills development.
Manage Research Chairs for Excellence
We actively manage five Research Chairs to lead high-quality, specialized inquiry, decolonize knowledge, and drive the development of African theories.
Translate and Disseminate Research Findings
We convert complex academic findings into accessible formats for end-users (policymakers, teachers), ensuring research is used to inform policy and practice.
Sustain and Scale the HERI-Africa Model
We ensure the long-term sustainability and African ownership of the initiative by institutionalizing HERI-Africa within the CUE and actively managing the Education Research Fund, while simultaneously scaling our successful model across other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Targetted Outcomes Phase 1 (2025-2028)
Research alignment
50%
studies aligned with NERA
Researcher training
100+
Early-career researchers trained
Research Chairs
200+
High-quality publications produced
Research outputs
1,000+
Research outputs shared
HERI-Africa expansion
3+
Countries established