Technology is revolutionizing how knowledge is accessed and consumed. Through innovations in education technology (EdTech) and digitalization, education is becoming more accessible and tailored to meet diverse learning needs. These innovations are essential in advancing inclusive education and supporting students and older learners to develop the skills to thrive in an increasingly competitive digital workforce.
However, the full potential of technology in education remains untapped. Several barriers impede progress: regulatory uncertainties, challenges in quantifying return on investment, limited broadband access in some regions, and the complexities of establishing sustainable business models in financially constrained environments. Additionally, there is a significant digital divide, especially in emerging economies across Africa and Asia, where access to digital resources is markedly uneven.
IFC invests in and supports education providers that are leveraging technology to improve efficiencies and deliver better outcomes. IFC also supports EdTech companies to help them bring innovation to more markets, while IFC’s Digital for Tertiary Education Program (D4TEP) digitalization program helps universities identify and implement digital technologies, aiming to improve their operations to provide students with a better learning environment.
Our aim is to enable education institutions and students to thrive in the fast-evolving digital world.
IFC’s Impact:
Since the inception of the D4TEP program in late 2020, IFC has supported 20 universities in implementing digital transformation across their operations, including admissions, instruction, and administration. Over 800,000 students from across the world have benefited from the program.
As an early participant in IFC's Digital for Tertiary Education Program (D4TEP), and an IFC investee, the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, or UPC) retrained over 3,500 faculty members with the aid of digital lessons within a week, while leveraging digital transformation to address its age-long student drop-out rates.
