Forum for Open Learning to be held in Kochi

Updated on: Monday, October 11, 2010

The sixth Pan Commonwealth Forum for Open Learning, being hosted by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), would be held at Kochi from November 24 to 28, IGNOU vice chancellor V N Rajasekharan Pillai said.

The theme of the conference would be 'Access and success in Learning: Global Development Perspectives,' Pillai said addressing a press conference here.

Around 500 delegates from Commonwealth countries would participate in the meet, he said. The meet was held last time in London.

Pillai said the international presence of IGNOU, celebrating its silver jubilee (2009-10), has been growing over the years. "Initially, we had centres only in the Gulf and Middle East countries. Now we have centres in UK and Africa. Proposals for new centres are coming from US, France, Germany and Canada," he said.

Pillai said a US team, who had recently held talks with IGNOU, took keen interest in the concept of community colleges. The University had also signed an agreement with UNESCO to run media-related courses, which would be taken to other countries also. The learner would get a certificate jointly issued by UNESCO and IGNOU.

IGNOU had of late been focusing on courses in sustainable science, with support of the Rural Development Ministry. As part of programmes in climate change, weather management and pollution, the University had just launched a one-year appreciation programme on 'Ganga (Ganges) sustainability.'

"It is very important that ordinary people of India should know the real causes of pollution and how they can protect the rivers," he said.

A diploma course in anti-human trafficking was another programme offered by IGNOU. Union Home Ministry was supporting the course, primarily meant for police personnel and Home Ministry officials. The course was also open to individuals belonging to civil and social organisations.

The University was also offering 20 certificate courses in disability studies including a graduate programme in applied sign language, he said.

IGNOU planned to set up five regional campuses and was ready to open a full-fledged campus in Kerala if land was provided by the state government, Pillai said. The University had already got land in Meghalaya and Haryana to set up its own infrastructure.

B Sukumar, regional director, Thiruvananthapuram Centre, which began functioning last year, said the centre had achieved a growth of 23 percent in student enrolment within a year of establishment.

Forum for Open Learning to be held in Kochi

More Education news