In a concerted effort to foster gender inclusivity in the dynamic realm of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the Commonwealth Educational Media

Centre for Asia (CEMCA), the regional hub of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), has instituted the CEMCA Award for Excellence in Media and ICT-related Academic Pursuits among Women. This initiative aims to catalyse greater female participation in these disciplines at the post-graduate level across Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions.

During the 37 th Convocation of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) held on 20 February 2024, Ms. Chamanpreet Kaur Sodhi (https://in.linkedin.com/in/chamanpreet-kaur-sodhi) was the recipient of the CEMCA Award for her excellent performance in the Master of Computer Application course at IGNOU.

The Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, Professor Nageshwar Rao, and Dr B. Shadrach, Director of CEMCA, presented Chamanpreet with a citation and cash prize of Rs. 25,000/-. Her win underscores the importance of empowering female talent in the ICT domain, paving the way for a more inclusive digital future.

12 Feb, 2024

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Under the theme of ‘Reflections on COL in India’, the Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) President and CEO, Professor Peter Scott, and senior COL staff welcomed the Consul General of India in Vancouver, Mr Manish, to COL’s Headquarters in Canada.

In one of his first official duties since becoming President in early January 2024, Professor Scott hosted a meeting to discuss COL’s unique bilateral relationship with India, especially regarding the role that the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), COL’s centre in India, is playing in driving development with the power of learning.

The President, Vice-President and other senior COL colleagues illustrated to the Consul General that in India, besides assisting universities and schools and helping to build faculty capacities, COL has also helped a wide range of institutions to mainstream open, digital and distance learning – including rural development banks as well as community-based organisations. Further to this, COL works to bring the voice of India in learning to the wider Commonwealth through our joint work.