Credit: Original article can be found here
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is pleased to announce
that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development,
Botswana, to be represented by Botswana Open University
(BOU), will co-host the Eleventh Pan-Commonwealth Forum on
Open Learning (PCF11) with COL in Gaborone, Botswana in the
latter half of 2025.
COL organises triennial
Pan-Commonwealth Forums on Open Learning in different parts
of the Commonwealth in partnership with key institutions.
This will be the third Pan-Commonwealth Forum to take place
in Africa with the two earlier editions held in South Africa
(2002) and Nigeria (2013).
“The Botswana Ministry of
Education and Skills Development and Botswana Open
University have been longstanding partners of COL and
organising PCF11 in Gaborone will further consolidate our
collaboration. The next wave of open universities is likely
to be established in Africa so it is appropriate that we
bring together stakeholders from around the world to share
ideas and experiences of how we can provide quality
education that is relevant, equitable and affordable,”
said Professor Asha Kanwar, COL President and
CEO.
Botswana’s Minister of Education and Skills
Development, the Honourable Dr Douglas Letsholathebe noted,
“The opportunity to co-host the 11th Pan-Commonwealth
Forum on Open Learning in Gaborone, Botswana with COL, our
long-time partner, is a very welcome development indeed for
both my Ministry and the Government of Botswana. We look
forward to working with COL through the Botswana Open
University, and to welcoming PCF11 and its participants to
Gaborone and other parts of Botswana. We thank COL for
giving us this opportunity; as well as the BOU Leadership
for their input in ensuring that the event becomes a
reality. We shall provide the support required to ensure
that PCF11 is a resounding success.”
“The Botswana
Open University is indeed honoured to be given the
opportunity to implement the agreement between the Ministry
of Education and Skills Development and COL to co-host
PCF11. We look forward to working with COL to ensure that
this gathering of open learning advocates under one roof in
Botswana is every bit as successful and fruitful as other
previous fora have been,” added Professor Kgomotso Moahi,
Acting Vice Chancellor, BOU.
The Forum is one of the
world’s key events in open, distance and
technology-enabled learning, attracting hundreds of
delegates from across the Commonwealth and beyond. PCF11
will be offered as a hybrid event with options to attend in
person and virtually where this model was well-received at
PCF10 held in Calgary, Canada in September 2022.
The
programme is intended to expand our understanding of open
education and is designed to address online, flexible, open
and distance learning through widening educational access
and by advancing the social and economic development of
communities and nations. The Forum’s focus will be on
topics relating to, and participation by, societies in
developing countries.
Since 1999, the Forum has been
held in Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Jamaica, India, Malaysia,
New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK.
About
COL
The Commonwealth of Learning was created by
Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987 to promote the
development and sharing of open learning and distance
education knowledge, resources and technologies.
Headquartered in Canada, COL is the world’s only
intergovernmental organisation solely concerned with the
promotion and development of distance education and open
learning.
About BOU
Botswana Open University
is a result of the transformation of Botswana College of
Distance and Open Learning (BOCODOL) to an open university.
The institution develops and offers school-based and
university-level programmes to extend education and training
using open and distance learning methods on a national
scale. Hosted by BOU, the Southern African Development
Community Centre for Distance Education (SADC-CDE) is a
regional centre supported by COL in partnership with
BOU.
ENDS
For
more information, please contact:
Dave
Jackson
Communications Manager
Commonwealth of
Learning (COL)
Promoting Learning for Sustainable
Development
Suite 2500 – 4710 Kingsway, Burnaby,
BC V5H 4M2, Canada
Direct Tel: +1-604-775-8263 | Fax:
+1-604-775-8210
Email: djackson@col.org