BOARD NEWS

His Excellency, the Honourable Burchell Whiteman, O.J., Chair of COL’s Board of Governors announces the appointment of Professor Clement Sankat to the Board as the representative for the Caribbean. Professor Sankat has been involved with the University of the West Indies (UWI) for the past 30 years and is currently Pro Vice Chancellor, Principal of the St. Augustine Campus and a member of the university’s Executive Management team. A registered Mechanical/Agricultural Engineer, he holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from UWI and a Doctorate from the University of Guelph’s School of Engineering (Canada). Professor Sankat received UWI’s Vice Chancellor’s Award of Excellence in 2001 in recognition of his efforts in public service, university service and research.
www.col.org/board 

COL extends its condolences to the people of Tonga and the family of Dr. S. Langi Kavaliku, who died in a traffic accident in Tonga in December 2008. Dr. Kavaliku was a respected scholar, former Deputy Prime Minister and long time Minister of Education in Tonga (over 30 years). He was a member of COL’s Board of Governors from 1992-98 and was named an Honorary Fellow of COL in 2002.
www.col.org/lkavaliku

STAFF NEWS

Dr. K. Balasubramanian has been appointed as COL’s Education Specialist, Food Security and Environment. Most recently an independent consultant to international agencies including UNDP, NR International UK and COL, he was instrumental in designing and implementing COL’s Lifelong Learning for Farmers programme. Dr. Bala has more than 20 years of experience in development, including initiating information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) activities and sustainable natural resource management. His past roles have also included capacity building and human resource development using ICT in the rural sector, agriculture and animal husbandry. Dr. Bala holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Bangalore University.
www.col.org/kbala

Mr. John Lesperance has been appointed as COL’s Education Specialist, VUSSC. Formerly the Director of Further Education Development, Ministry of Education, Seychelles, Mr. Lesperance has worked in the field of curriculum development for open and distance learning institutes for several years. He has been involved with the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) as a team leader and interlocutor, and is a member of the Seychelles Qualification Authority Board. Mr. Lesperance holds a Masters degree in Technical and Vocational Education from Bolton Institute, UK.
www.col.org/jlesperance

COL President Sir John Daniel was awarded the Association of Commonwealth Universities’ (ACU) 2008 Symons Medal at the ACU Conference of Executive Heads in Hyderabad, India. The Symons Medal, which honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the ACU and/or to Commonwealth universities, was established in 1973 by Professor T.H.B. Symons, then Chairman of the ACU and President of Trent University, Canada. The 2008 Symons Medal was also awarded to Professor Brenda Gourley, whose many distinctions include outgoing chair of the ACU, Vice Chancellor of the U.K. Open University and Honorary Fellow of COL.

University Canada West, Canada’s first for-profit university, conferred a Doctorate of Laws, honoris causa, on COL President Sir John Daniel at the university’s third convocation in Victoria, Canada in November 2008. www.col.org/jdaniel

Mr. Ian Pringle, COL Education Specialist, Media, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Community Radio Fund of Canada. The purpose of the fund is to support the development and sustainability of community-oriented radio in Canada.
www.col.org/ipringle

SOWING THE SEEDS OF LEARNING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Krishna Alluri

Dr. Krishna Alluri has retired from COL after almost a decade as Education Specialist, Food Security and Environment. His many accomplishments include the creation of the Lifelong Learning for Farmers programme, Poverty Reduction Outcomes Through Education Innovations and Networks (COL-PROTEIN) programme, contextualising Environment Engineering modules for India and developing a large network of international partners committed to the use of open and distance learning (ODL) for agricultural education. Dr. Alluri shares some reflections on his work with COL.

It’s surprising how one comment can have a tremendous impact on us. In my case, it was my first meeting with Ms. Carol Walker (who was soon to be my Programme Assistant) when I came to COL in 1999. It’s easy to get caught up in organising workshops, she said. But she wondered if the workshops added much value to COL’s programmes other than a workshop report.

That comment has influenced my work at COL over the past nine years. I opted to “walk the talk” by promoting ODL and information and communication technology (ICT) instead of face-to-face meetings unless such options could be justified. I chose to hold meetings preceding or just after conferences organised by partners. The aim is to ensure tangible results of COL events. In the area of agriculture, that often means focussing on local farmers. What do they need? How can we reach them and help improve their livelihoods through ODL?

The beauty of COL is that we’re not tied to one way of doing things. Working here has helped me realise that there are often many different ways of solving problems. Management supports creativity and innovation; it’s left up to our imaginations to meet challenges in our particular area. COL’s core strength is that flexibility coupled with accountability.

I believed that while we could innovate it’s also important to invite innovation from the outside. This emphasis on fresh thinking is extended to grassroots efforts through COL-PROTEIN. We capture the innovation capacity of people from developing countries around the world and provide start-up funding to help them seize opportunities.

The important lesson I have learned from COL’s Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3 Farmers) programme is that the solutions to our world’s development challenges are not always driven by money. In this case, the solution is knowledge-driven. L3 Farmers is succeeding and expanding because we bring together communities, linking partners and enabling them to agree on a collective common vision and commit their resources to their full potential.

My vision for L3 Farmers was like the Olympic rings, all overlapping but none superseding another. We have managed to influence the partners to be open to co-operation. The key is not asking too much from anyone and showing the opportunities that can be gained by sharing and pooling resources.

I have learned that even the best information and knowledge is of limited value if it’s not placed in the right context. We were able to revitalise an excellent COL-UNESCO programme on Environmental Engineering by tailoring it to suit particular target regions and groups. The materials are being well used in India now, and I believe there is tremendous potential for expanding their use.

COL is also distinguished by a high degree of collegiality. The success of programmes such as L3 Farmers is due in large part to the support and the buy-in from my colleagues, particularly Sir John Daniel. I am proud to have been part of such a capable, committed and hard-working group.

I believe our work in agriculture has helped to lead COL to its present mission of “Learning for Development”. COL has a unique role to play, unlike any other organisation. By applying our expertise in ODL to other challenges such as climate change and water resource management, we will continue to develop practical approaches to learning that help people improve their livelihoods.
www.col.org/kalluri