Startups are seen as an answer to some social challenges facing developing countries, such as jobs, value creation, and sustainability. The software field, from a ‘glocal’ perspective, is the most promising one for startups in developing countries that lack capital. This is because anyone can do business anytime, anywhere in the world, with a computer connected to the Internet without regard for physical or geographical limitations. However, certain developing countries have been unable to capitalize on it due to many constraints.
The primary constraint is usually education at the local level in software development to raise future entrepreneurs in such field. A potential solution envisioned by?, a member institution of the?United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)?in the Republic of Korea that also serves as the initiative’s Principle Hub for Capacity-Building is the creation of an automated software education platform, necessary to address the insufficient number of instructors and enhance the existing experience in project management.
Professor Sungbae Jo of HGU collaborated with a group of professional startups?to develop a sustainable and automated software education platform called?MicroLearnable. All core technologies are generated on the cloud, so students can easily access it anytime, anywhere in the world, by simply using a web browser without needing high-end computers or complicated settings. In addition,?MicroLearnable?boosts learning achievement by packaging learning and practice material in 5–10-minute units.
The latter avoids using traditional methods of delivering lessons through lengthy lectures. It even includes an automatic scoring function so that faculty at each school can easily access and review individual student achievement and activity history. Some topics covered are hands-on training in the latest programming languages, web/app development frameworks, cloud, and project practice, all of which are actively used in the software industry nowadays around the globe. In addition, the platform enables 24/7 self-directed, intensive learning.
This is expected to significantly stimulate local startups and create new jobs in the near future. Actually, less than a year after HGU launched?MicroLearnable, the platform has already produced some remarkable results.?For instance, MicroLearnable?promoted automation in five courses in an Indonesian higher education institution and helped secure instructors in information technology-related departments. Through this, such an institution now allows faculty to focus on courses requiring more creativity, such as startup projects.
At the same time, basic development competency training can be entrusted to automated platforms. This is also an example of High Touch High Tech (HTHT) education, which is increasingly in demand. Moreover,?MicroLearnable?allows local faculty to conduct a software development competency intensive camp in universities in Tanzania and Uganda without outside assistance. The platform came equipped with video lectures and practice environments, and local faculty could simultaneously undergo training for themselves.
In the case of Myanmar, over 500 students who had recently been unable to access higher education due to domestic challenges and political instability could access development competency education conveniently and received full online support using videoconferencing tools. In Cambodia,?MicroLearnable?is used to run the UNESCO UNITWIN-Cambodia Data Science Joint Certification Program—an innovative joint program between six local universities and HGU—aimed to deliver data science education.
To overcome the limitations that many face in accessing an expensive computer, a successful test of running?MicroLearnable?was conducted on a?Raspberry Pi 400, a reasonably affordable computer built with a compact keyboard. This allows training infrastructure to be provided where funding is or might be difficult to secure properly. Overall, as this project started thinking of revitalizing startups and creating jobs so local people can independently solve their problems, the objective goes?beyond education.
Upon completion of the training, students are allowed to participate in various projects worldwide. The ultimate aim is to provide internships as well as practical experience. To this end, this UNAI Principle Hub is working diligently to potentially establish a partner network, secure projects, and build project management know-how. In addition, HGU is preparing itself to support startup funds and incubation projects to assist interns in starting a business after they gain practical experience.
The UNITWIN project management team, professors, students, and?Software Factory?(the startup staffed by HGU alumni that created?MicroLearnable) consider their mottos those of the institution itself: “Why Not Change the World” and “Learn to Give.” HGU’s efforts to develop effective aid methods for developing countries have had positive impact and the institution’s president, Dr. Dosoung Phillip Choi said that HGU wants to advance the by strengthening students’ software development capabilities while reducing educational gaps.
