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The Commonwealth Secretary-General elect, HE Kamalesh Sharma has been confirmed as an opening keynote speaker for the Commonwealth of Learning's 5th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF5) to be held at the University of London 13-17 July 2008.
http://www.col.org/
Mr Sharma will join UNESCO's Assistant Director General for Education, Nicholas Burnett, in talking about the overall themes of the Forum during the opening session.
The theme for PCF5 is "Access to Learning for Development"
PCF5 is an international conference to explore the contribution of open and distance learning to international development goals, by opening up access to learning at every level. The Forum is for practitioners, researchers, planners and policy makers in the fields of open and distance learning and development. It provides opportunities to share experience and expertise, and to contribute to future policy and provision. Participants will represent the main Commonwealth, European and international institutions and agencies who are active in the field, including funding bodies and technology providers.
About Mr Shama: Currently the High Commissioner for India to the United Kingdom, in November Mr Sharma was elected to the office of Secretary General of the Commonwealth commencing on 1 April 2008. Speaking in Kampala shortly after the announcement , Mr Sharma said that as Secretary-General, he wished to pay “particular attention” to women and young people. Women are a litmus test for the way a society is going, he said, and the future belongs to youth: “To mainstream youth, through education, knowledge and awareness is a huge global challenge.”
Photo:
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