Breaking Higher Education’s Iron Triangle through Distance Education: The Case of IGNOU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This article addresses the issue of access to quality postgraduate distance education. It was
developed within an argument that access to conventional face-to-face postgraduate studies is
still a challenge in developing countries. It argues that distance education can be used as an
alternative means of meeting the increasing demand for higher education in the country
concerned. This study used a case study of Masters of Arts in Rural Development (MARD)
program that is offered by Indira Ghandi National Open University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to gather the relevant data. The
study established that distance education has a huge potential as an alternative and
cost-effective means of providing quality higher education in Ethiopia. The study suggests that
careful planning and integration of distance education into the national higher education policy
will enable effective and efficient provision of quality distance postgraduate education in
developing countries like Ethiopia.