Richard holds the following qualifications:
PhD in Distance Education, University of Wales, UK, 1988
M.A. in Distance Education, University of London, UK, 1980
B.A. in Education, University of Zambia, 1975.

Professor Siaciwena is the Mozambique Open and Distance Learning (MODL) Strategic Adviser at the Ministry of Education in Mozambique, a project supported the British Department of International Development (DFID) and managed by the British Council, International Extension College (IEC) and the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE).

Before moving to neighboring Mozambique, he was an Associate Professor of Distance Education and Director at the Directorate of Distance Education, University of Zambia from 1994 to 2002.