More than ever, this is the moment for curriculum experts, educational planners, university leaders and policymakers to converge around a shared priority: implementing problem-based learning (PBL) to tackle unemployment, strengthen entrepreneurship and fix the persistent mismatch between graduate skills and the demands of industry.
In January 2023, I was among a group of six students privileged to spend six months at Aalborg University in Denmark on an exchange programme. While I expected cultural surprises and harsh winter weather, nothing was as eye-opening as the university’s learning philosophy: problem-based learning. With graduate unemployment rising and frustration growing among young people across Africa, our universities must gradually shift away from traditional teaching models toward approaches that build real-world capability.
Unlike conventional learning, where the lecturer delivers prescribed notes that students memorise for exams, PBL places students at the centre. Students work in groups to solve an identified real-life problem. They are challenged to research independently, identify the knowledge they need, and apply it to their solution. Consequently, lectures are no longer a tedious march toward an examination but part of a purposeful learning process. Personally, studying under PBL felt like going to work each day, driven by a clear mission and responsibility.
PBL also develops the ability to work in diverse teams, manage group dynamics and communicate effectively—competencies that are increasingly essential in the workplace. In this model, the lecturer acts not as the sole expert but as a facilitator, guiding students away from “dead ends” and “blind alleys” as they explore solutions.
As artificial intelligence rapidly enters classrooms and lecture halls, educators everywhere are grappling with how to regulate its use while encouraging innovation. PBL offers a practical bridge: it encourages students to use AI tools ethically and purposefully to solve real-world problems rather than shortcut learning. A key component of PBL is the oral examination, in which students must defend their thinking, explain their process and reflect on what worked and what did not. This ensures AI enhances learning rather than replaces it.
Policymakers often emphasise that graduates must develop a mindset of entrepreneurship and job creation. PBL builds this mindset from the outset by training students to identify and solve real-world problems, core ingredients of entrepreneurial thinking. Employers frequently expect graduates to “hit the ground running”, yet many struggle to adapt without structured workplace exposure. PBL helps bridge this gap by simulating work environments, building initiative and nurturing a problem-solving orientation.
Africa cannot postpone the reform of higher education. The Ministry of Education, NQA, NCHE and university leaders should pilot PBL-based models, benchmark institutions such as Aalborg, and transform classrooms into innovation labs. Encouragingly, NUST has begun integrating PBL within the Faculty of Computing, with the new Honours degree in Human-Computer Interaction incorporating elements of this approach. This initiative can serve as a national pilot, preparing a generation of students to become industry-ready and globally competitive.
Lemuel Mayinoti is a software developer and Master of Computer Science student at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust). He writes in his personal capacity. He can be reached via email: lmayinoti.lm@gmail.com
