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IIGF 2024 Panel Discussion on "Enabling AI for All, by All" Explores Inclusive AI Solutions for India

Dr. B. Shadrach, Director of the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, the regional centre of Commonwealth of Learning in Asia, participated as a panellist in the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024’s Session on “Enabling AI for All, by All” held on 9 December 2024 in New Delhi, India. He advocated for the integration of open education systems and AI to empower marginalised communities. He highlighted how AI literacy driven initiatives could enable the excluded in using this technology for their benefit.

In particular, Dr Shadrach mentioned COL-CEMCA's AI literacy initiatives for schoolteachers, farmers, and factory workers. He informed that COL-CEMCA is piloting an innovative AI literacy programme for 10,000 farmers in collaboration with Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. The MP Bhoj Open University has also shown keen interest in translating the course into Hindi with the help of Bhashini, and scaling it up among farmers in the Hindi-speaking belt. Dr Shadrach called for a national AI literacy mission to promote awareness and adoption of AI technologies while ensuring that they align with the needs of excluded communities. 

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Harnessing AI for Agriculture's Green Transition and Climate Resilience: Insights from GPAI Summit 2024 Session

Dr B. Shadrach, Director of the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), the Asian regional centre of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), participated in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) Summit 2024 held in Belgrade, Serbia, on 3–4 December 2024. On 4 December, he participated in a panel discussion on “AI in Agriculture Green Transition and Climate: Transforming Practices for the Future.”

The panel explored the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing agriculture's green transition and tackling climate challenges. Discussions focused on how AI-driven solutions can enhance sustainability, optimise resource use, and minimise the environmental footprint of agricultural practices. Key innovations highlighted included AI applications that strengthen climate resilience and reshape the future of agriculture.

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AI and the Labour Market: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Human Element

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), the regional centre of Commonwealth of Learning, partnered with the Coalition for Responsible Evolution of AI (CoRE-AI)-The Dialogue and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) to organise a roundtable in New Delhi titled "Navigating Humans and AI Interaction within the Labour Market: Implications and Opportunities" on 28 November 2024.   

The event addressed global concerns regarding the impact of AI technologies on the labour market as these evolve to deliver more human-like responses and support. The deliberations focused on three key areas: analysing AI's long-term influence on social norms and values, mitigating challenges posed by AI in formal and informal sectors, and enhancing the positive transformations that AI can bring to these sectors. 

Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, delivered the opening remarks, introducing COL-CEMCA’s initiatives in technology-enabled education, particularly in AI. He emphasised the importance of dispelling misconceptions about AI and generative AI, often viewed as disruptors in the global job markets. 

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COL-CEMCA and CIET-NCERT Conducted Online Training on AI for School Educators

Aligned with the vision of NEP 2020, which emphasises the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, COL-CEMCA organised a five-day online training programme titled "AI in Education" in collaboration with the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, India. 

The training aimed to empower educators with a deep understanding of AI's role in modern education and its practical applications. The key objectives of the training were to make educators comprehend the significance of AI in contemporary education, and examine its potential scope for teaching and learning. In addition, it focused on developing skills to integrate AI tools into classroom instruction; exploring AI-driven content generation for educational purposes, and generative AI applications in teaching and learning; identifying and utilising AI-powered tools to enhance student engagement and outcomes; and fostering innovative pedagogical approaches to address diverse learning needs. 

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Addressing Learning Disabilities in the Maldives through Capacity Building for Inclusive Education

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in collaboration with the Maldives' Ministry of Education and ChangeInkk Foundation, India, organised a webinar titled "Building Capacities of Policymakers and Teachers on Inclusion of Children with Learning Disabilities in Schools in the Maldives." The event aimed to enhance awareness, reduce stigma, and promote support for students with dyslexia and specific learning disabilities (SLDs) to create a more inclusive education system.

Welcoming the esteemed panellists and participants, Dr B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, congratulated the Government of the Maldives for establishing the Department of Inclusive Education, reflecting its commitment to persons with disabilities. He informed that COL-CEMCA and ChangeInkk Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Government of India, have launched video tutorials to train educators in supporting learners with SLDs. These can be adapted by the Maldives as per their requirements. He concluded by emphasising that mainstreaming SLD in education requires the creation of necessary systems at the micro, meso and macro levels. 

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