As we begin a new year of global collaboration and impact, and as the world recognizes 2026 as the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, we are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of AWB volunteers like Dr. Judith Orogun, whose service exemplifies the power of higher education to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Dr. Judith Orogun is a Professor and Curriculum and Program Quality Consultant at Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Hamilton, Ontario. An accomplished higher education leader, Judith recently volunteered with Academics Without Borders (AWB) on a project with Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) in Bondo, Kenya.
From September 2024 to May 2025, Judith worked virtually with a team of JOOUST lecturers to conduct a needs assessment focused on lecturers’ capacity to implement Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and to co-develop a practical implementation plan. Her work included a site visit in January 2025, where she was able to connect pedagogical theory with local cultural practices—an experience she describes as both professionally and personally rewarding.
Through focused collaboration with an enthusiastic and committed team, the project achieved its goals within the agreed timeline and fostered strong professional relationships that have continued well beyond the project’s formal scope. Judith remains engaged with colleagues at JOOUST, sharing ideas and offering guidance on CBC strategies and other institutional initiatives.
Reflecting on her experience, Judith describes volunteering with AWB as a natural extension of one of her life’s passions: supporting educational development in Africa through a trusted and values-driven organization.
“AWB’s vision of ‘Promoting Development Through Higher Education’ resonates with me. I want to contribute meaningfully to the development of education in Africa (my home continent) and the Caribbean (my adopted region) and other low- to middle-income countries. I have experienced how education helps to pull people up in Africa and the Caribbean, and felt honoured to be able to contribute to that goal, which ties in with my vision.”
Judith also emphasizes the reciprocal nature of volunteering, an idea that sits at the heart of both AWB’s mission and the International Year of the Volunteer.
“When you give, you get far more in return; friendships, additional perspectives, gratitude and appreciation for one’s and others’ experiences, among others.”
Grounded in the Ubuntu philosophy – the belief that individual success is inseparable from the success of the collective – Judith sees volunteering with AWB as a meaningful way to support the professional growth of educators committed to strengthening higher education systems in low- and middle-income countries.
Following her first assignment, Judith stepped forward as an AWB Ambassador, eager to share the value of AWB volunteering across the Ontario college network. In this role, she highlights the mutual benefits experienced by volunteers, partner institutions, home institutions, and AWB itself.
With academic credentials that include a Bachelor of Education, Master of Arts, and Doctorate in Education focused on Curriculum Development and Systemic Change, Judith brings decades of experience to her volunteer work. Her career spans teaching and leadership roles at Excelsior Community College in Jamaica and the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica, where she coordinated multiple programs and served as Program Director for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education.
As Judith reflects on the broader impact of her service, she offers an enthusiastic endorsement of the AWB volunteer experience:
“The value you will get from volunteering with AWB will far outweigh what you will give. How can one quantify such service, experience and adventure? You will be all the better for the experience, and so will the colleagues you will support… I highly recommend AWB and the opportunities it presents.”
In this International Year of Volunteers, we are deeply grateful for volunteers like Judith Orogun, whose generosity, expertise, and global outlook continue to strengthen institutions, empower educators, and advance AWB’s mission around the world.
