NEWS: Pursuing e-education

IN a move towards improving online and distance learning in Asia, Asia e University (AeU) jointly organised a seminar with the Indian High Commission Malaysia and Indira Ghandhi National Open University (Ignou).

The seminar titled ‘Open and Distance Learning: Bridging the Knowledge Divide’ was held recently.

“We must pursue e-education proactively to bridge the gap between communities,” said AeU president and chief operating officer, Prof Datuk Dr Ansary Ahmed at the seminar launch.

AeU is a dual mode multinational university set up under the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD).

It collaborates with Higher Education Institutions and training centres in the 30 ACD countries to offer academic programmes and training.
From left: Pillai, Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Ashok K Kantha, Sibal and Prof Ansary.

Prof Ansary added that the university has entered into many agreements with other institutions in countries such as Iran, Singapore, Cambodia, Kuwait, India and various European countries for the benefit of students.

“We will also tap on partners throughout the ACD countries to provide Asian-centric courses like Asian history and business,” he said.

Indian Minister of Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal, who launched the seminar, believed distance learning is the future of international cooperation between universities.

“The cooperation between Ignou and AeU is a focused enterprise in expanding the wealth of knowledge both possess in different parts of the world,” he said.

“This is the future of dissemination of information.” he added.

He pointed out that like the health system, distance learning can bring education to the people as opposed to waiting for people to come to the institutions.

The problem, he said, would be how to attract the public with the products offered and maintaining quality and standards.

Ignou vice-chancellor Prof V N Rajasekharan Pillai and pro vice-chancellor Dr K R Srivathsan and Wawasan Open University deputy vice-chancellor (strategy, planning and continuing education) Unni Kumaran Menon also spoke at the seminar.

They spoke on topics ranging from the use of ICT and e-Learning frameworks to distance learning resources.