3rd Knowledge Café: Building Financially Sustainable EMIS for Africa’s Future

The GPE KIX Africa 19 Hub is pleased to announce the 3rd KIX Knowledge Café on Education Management Information Systems (EMIS), organized by the African Union Commission through the Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED) as part of the Global Partnership for Education Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (GPE KIX), a joint venture with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Date: 7 October 2025

Time: 14:00 – 16:00 (UTC+3)

Location: Virtual. Kindly register here to confirm participation.

Theme: Building Financially Sustainable EMIS for Africa’s Future.

The KIX Knowledge Café series provides an interactive platform for Developing Country Partners (DCPs) to exchange experiences, lessons, and strategies on strengthening education data systems across Africa. Unlike traditional webinars, the café format emphasizes peer learning and country-driven discussions, creating space for open dialogue and practical knowledge sharing.

Strong, reliable, and sustainable EMIS are the backbone of effective education planning and policymaking. Yet, many systems across the continent continue to face chronic underfunding and dependence on short-term project support. Participants will discuss the current state of EMIS financing in their countries, including persistent challenges and emerging opportunities. The session will explore how countries can integrate EMIS financing into domestic budgets, coordinate donor support, and advocate more effectively for long-term investments in data systems.

The discussion builds on the 2nd Knowledge Café held in July 2025, which focused on the role of national EMIS policies in strengthening education data systems. The upcoming café will move this conversation forward by addressing how policy commitments can be matched with sustainable financing.

The program will feature interventions from Ethiopia, Lesotho, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, sharing their challenges and opportunities in EMIS financing, alongside insights from a KIX Grantee, namely the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and UNICEF.