Africa's Malawi to Replicate IGNOU's Model of Open & Digital Learning

Malawi, a South-East African nation has evinced interest in replicating the Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) model of open and digital learning. With this motive, a delegation from Malawi led by the Malawian Minister of Education, Science and Technology visited India recently.

The delegation that visited IGNOU last week was welcomed by Prof. Ravindra Kumar, IGNOU Vice Chancellor. They expressed their interest in understanding the model with the intent of developing and disseminating quality content to students each day and further replicating it in their own region.

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The south-east African country faces lower enrollment rates in higher education due to high dropouts of students at the primary and secondary levels. To bridge the gap, its government has shown interest in imitating the open and distance learning (ODL) model at its various colleges with the help of IGNOU's expertise in developing and spreading quality content 24*7 all over the country via digital mode.

Speaking about and highlighting the concepts of open and digital learning, Mr. Kumar mentioned that Indira Gandhi National Open University is the largest university in terms of student strength. The current number of students enrolled is more than three million.

He added that IGNOU has approx 1.3 million active students on an annual basis. The prime reason behind the University's ability to function in over three thousand study centres PAN India. He further informed that out of the 1.65 books which are published each year, 70% of the content of the study material is kept online, whether or not they belong to the IGNOU University. Since it is difficult to provide study material to all students in a country with such a large population, the printing of study material and uploading them on the website has solved the problem of disparity which can be termed as democratised education as well.

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He also explained the importance of printing bilingual study material in both the native languages as well as in English. This would protect the cultural identity of the students. He later expressed that technology plays an important role in providing education. He also informed that that IGNOU had developed a state-of-the-art electronic media production center for dissemination of education. They also have a PAN Africa education network where they have laid a dedicated cable between India and more than twenty-three African centers under the sea of which Malawi’s Chancellor College is a part.

Extending support to Malawi, Prof Ravindra Kumar, proposed a collaborative framework to the minister to build an Open and Digital Learning University at Malawi.