People

Several hundred Indian and international students have been working toward a Post-Graduate Diploma in Distance Education (PGDDE) through the distance education programme offered by India's Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which leads to a Master of Arts in Distance Education (MADE) degree. Forty-five of them are sponsored by COL under its Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship Scheme (RGFS), which provides the professional development opportunity to open and distance learning (ODL) practitioners in selected Commonwealth countries (nominated by Ministries of Education). Of the 750 students who earned their diploma this year, including most of the COL-sponsored group, the Gold Medallist - achieving the highest mark on his final exam - was Mr. Tauvaga Vaai, an RGFS fellow, who is a member of the ODL team at Samoa Polytechnic.

The Medal was awarded to Mr. Vaai, in absentia, during IGNOU's 15th Convocation in March, and presented to him during a Samoa Polytechnic Council dinner later in the month by Samoa's Minister for Education, the Honourable Fiamé Naomi Mata'afa, who is also the Pacific Region representative on COL's Board of Governors.

Two of Mr. Vaai's colleagues on the Polytechnic's ODL team are also taking the programme under RGFS sponsorship and earned their PGDDE at the same time. "It was not easy for us," he recalled: "Although we have the full support of the institution we serve, we have our academic obligations such as full time teaching loads, training to conduct, curriculum to develop and administrative work. It was a struggle for all of us. My schedule was (and still is) hectic. Aside from that, distance learning is not that easy compared to the classroom setting we are used to. Here, we have to do our research, consult with our supervisor and do a lot of analysis, synthesis and evaluation relating to research work and other summative assessments in the programme. We have to put our best foot in because we must depend on our own initiative and effort, no spoon-feeding from our tutor and to come up with the best academic assignments. We were studying five courses that required research projects ... What really helped us was our team work. We had peer interactions, and peer study group. These were opportunities for us to share academic aspects of the programme. The support of our local tutor/supervisor, Dr. Emma Kruse-Vaai, has been great during our struggle."

Mr. Vaai intends to continue in the programme up to the completion of the Masters degree. He sees himself working fulltime as an ODL course developer. "With the qualifications that we are pursuing, the capacity of Samoa Polytechnic to offer courses through the ODL mode, will be strengthened. So far, Samoa Polytechnic has already offered two ODL courses. One was to our local clientele and the other one was to the regional countries of the Pacific, on "Supporting Distance Learning though Policy Development."

"I would like to see an ODL unit operating in full swing. I believe that ODL mode has social and academic credibility and should be given full support from the Government and the community. If ODL mode is widely accepted, I believe that it will definitely increase access to learning, for all the members of the community and it will break down the barrier of elitism in education."

Congratulations, Tauvaga, and also to other RGFS fellows!

COL's second President and Chief Executive Officer, Dato' Professor Gajaraj (Raj) Dhanarajan, retired from COL on 31 May 2004.

When Raj joined COL as President and CEO he left a large, well established and securely financed institution to head a fledgling agency with a small staff and uncertain financial resources. He vigorously met the challenge of fashioning a creative and dynamic international, intergovernmental organisation that would demonstrate the value and the potential of open and distance learning (ODL) in the advancement of education and development in the Commonwealth - and one that would respond swiftly and effectively to the demands and needs of Commonwealth countries and their Governments.

He succeeded in doing both, so that today COL is recognised as the premier international organisation in using ODL for development purposes. In many parts of the Commonwealth there is widespread testimony to COL's efforts, under Raj's leadership, to harness ODL as a vital force for development purposes and to transform conventional and sometimes outdated education systems to meet contemporary needs.

Pioneer, innovator and risk taker - these are the marks of Raj's leadership and vision. Quick to seize opportunities he made COL a results-driven organisation long before results-based management came into vogue.

Raj leaves behind him an extraordinary legacy that enables COL to face the future with confidence. There could be no greater tribute to his leadership and vision.

Lewis Perinbam,
Chair of COL's Board of Governors

We are going to miss this modest, unassuming man who has determinedly and resolutely throughout his career at COL advanced the cause of education as the driver of human development and ODL as the most efficient and effective means of harnessing scarce resources for maximum educational benefit. Raj has said, "If we accept the premise that education, more than any other factor, can make the difference between wealth and poverty, health and misery, conservation and destruction, national unity and division, then the levelling of educational opportunities must be a priority for all of us who care about our fellow citizens." It was because of these values that many of us have been proud to work in his team.

Raj has been ideally suited to lead a Commonwealth agency - profoundly believing, both intellectually and in his practice, in the Commonwealth principles of partnership, co-operation and the sharing of experience and knowledge.

For those of us who have worked with Raj, we know he can sometimes be infuriating. He is both a charismatic and patriarchal leader, but we know him best as a man of integrity - and we count ourselves lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him. Raj, we are going to miss you and we wish you well. We know you leave having built a sound legacy for the future of COL and we also know that you are not really retiring. You will be taking the message of education to new places. COL staff member

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