HEC, AIOU hold moot to evolve policy on ODL

Islamabad

An international seminar held here on Friday to adopt a national policy on Open Distance Learning (ODL) to meet the future challenges, overcoming illiteracy and ensuring access to affordable quality education in every nook and corner of the country.

The first-ever such seminar was jointly organised by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) that was being attended by renowned educationists from home and abroad.

HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed was the guest honour. It was presided over by AIOU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Shahid Siddiqui. The keynote speakers at the inaugural session were President of Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Canada Professor Asha S. Kanwar and Tan Sri Dato Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, Chairman of Board of Governors Wawasan of Open University, Malaysia.

During the two-day working sessions, the participants will suggest draft-policy outlines and institutional bench-mark for working of ODL-based educational institutions in the country.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed assured that the HEC will further work on the proposed policy for its approval and implementation. He noted that the AIOU has set a model of ODL, by reaching to around 1.3 million students with big diversity of academic programs that also include skilled-based education.

He appreciated Dr. Siddiqui and his team for arranging the event which he hoped will prove as a milestone in providing quality education to the people from secondary and PhD level as per their socio-economic needs, through non-traditional mode of learning.