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VANCOUVER -- Lewis Perinbam, O.C., a former Vice President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) who has represented the World Bank at the United Nations and was sometime Secretary General of the Canadian National Commission for UNESCO and the World University Service of Canada, has been named Chair of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) for a three-year term.
The announcement was made today by Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Right Honourable Donald McKinnon, on behalf of the organization's Board of Governors , who are meeting in Vancouver this week.
Perinbam is a (Malaysian-born) Vancouver resident who, until he assumed this position, was Senior Adviser (External Relations) at COL. He succeeds Dr. H. Ian Macdonald, O.C., President Emeritus of York University, Toronto, and is the second Canadian to hold this post.
Perinbam was the Chair of the 2000 Federal Government Task Force on the Participation of Visible Minorities in the Federal Public Service and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien recently appointed him a Governor of the Canadian Centre for Management Development.
COL was the first Commonwealth agency to be located outside Britain and is the only international intergovernmental organization in Vancouver, Canada. It was created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to widen access to learning through the effective use of open and distance learning and new communications technologies. Malaysian, Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan is COL's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Quotes:
Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Right Honourable Don McKinnon: "I congratulate Lewis Perinbam. The strong endorsement Lewis received from countries around the Commonwealth is testimony to his knowledge, talent and expertise in the area of education for development. His impressive track-record in education, government relations and successful networking in his professional life will be of enormous benefit to COL and will enable him to provide strong leadership to the organisation."
And: "I and COL owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Dr. Ian Macdonald for the positive leadership he provided COL since 1994. His energy, imagination, commitment and, of course, sense of humour, will be missed. Ian is a real Commonwealth man!"
Lewis Perinbam, O.C.: "It is an honour that I accept this with humility. Many world problems cannot be solved using traditional and conventional methods. They require new approaches, techniques and attitudes. COL is at the forefront of change and has earned widespread respect for its leadership in demonstrating effective use of open and distance learning and new communications technologies to initiate and manage change for the benefit of the peoples of the Commonwealth. I count it a privilege to be associated with COL and will support its efforts to serve the Commonwealth in bold and imaginative ways."
COL's founding Chairman was the Right Honourable Lord Briggs (Asa Briggs) (1988 - 1993).
Dr. Macdonald had been Chairman of the Board of Governors from 1 January, 1994.
COL is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.
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