News


Colloquium Explores AI's Transformative Role in Higher Education

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel, hosted a high-impact colloquium on Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education Institutions at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The event brought together vice chancellors, experts, and AI practitioners to examine the evolving role of AI in teaching, learning, and academic governance.

In his welcome address, Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, emphasised that AI is no longer a distant concept—it is shaping the future of education. While AI offers tools for lecture preparation, course design, and assessment, he urged educators to adopt it responsibly. He also introduced COL-CEMCA’s Academic and Career Skills (Self-Assessment) Instrument (ACSI), a tool developed in partnership with CBSE to guide students in making informed academic and career choices.

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Transforming STEM Education for Tomorrow: COL-CEMCA and BIG Launch National Maths Skill Training for Teachers

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in collaboration with Bharat Innovation Global (BIG), officially launched the 42-Hour Online Skill Training Programme for secondary-level mathematics teachers across India. The programme, designed to support innovative, technology-enabled, and student-centred teaching practices, has seen an overwhelming response with over 6,000 registrations from educators spanning various regions of the country.

This six-week training initiative aims to enhance teachers’ conceptual understanding, capacity to use digital tools, develop engaging classroom strategies, and make mathematics instruction more relevant and application-oriented. It combines live sessions with self-paced learning to ensure flexibility, depth, and sustained engagement.

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Empowering Educators through Open Educational Resources

In a significant collaboration aimed at transforming classroom teaching through accessible and innovative learning tools, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), the Central Institute of Educational Technology-National Council of Educational Research and Training (CIET-NCERT), and Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women are jointly conducting a five-day residential training programme on Open Educational Resources (OER): Innovating Education in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, from 2-6 June 2025.

Designed specifically for teaching faculty in the education sector across southern states, the programme brought together 50 participants representing State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), State Institutes of Education (SIEs), and Regional Institute of Education (RIE) from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Lakshadweep, and Andaman & Nicobar to explore the philosophy, application, and creation of OER. The training aimed to equip educators with practical knowledge to integrate OER into their teaching practices, enhancing both learning outcomes and educational inclusivity.

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Cybersecurity Awareness Session Empowers Students and Educators

A relevant and strategically timed webinar titled "Cyber Security in the Digital Age: Navigating Threats and Building Resilient Practices" brought together academic leaders, cybersecurity professionals, and over 100 students on 26 May 2025, marking a significant step towards building digital resilience among India's youth. Organised collaboratively by the Commonwealth of Learning’s regional centre, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), Reliance Foundation, and Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai, Maharashtra, the event featured insights from top cybersecurity experts.

Setting the context, Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, emphasised the importance of the cybersecurity session, highlighting its relevance to students, teachers, and professionals. Dr Shadrach described AI as a double-edged sword—both a tool for cybercriminals and a defence mechanism. He urged the academic community to develop risk awareness, assessment, and mitigation skills, advocating preventative measures, ongoing learning, and support systems to enhance digital resilience among people.

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Training Empowers Sri Lankan Educators to Mainstream Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

A transformative three-day training programme titled “Mainstreaming Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)” was held in Colombo from 21–23 May 2025. Organised by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), the regional centre of Commonwealth of Learning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Sri Lanka, and ChangeInkk Foundation, the training aimed to build the capacities of educators, school leaders, and policymakers to promote inclusive education practices.

The programme focused on enhancing understanding and institutional readiness to support students with specific learning disabilities. Key objectives included empowering education stakeholders with practical tools and expertise, reviewing the on-ground implementation of inclusive strategies, and fostering dialogue for policy enhancement. The main outcomes of the programme included improved understanding of SLD identification and support strategies, enhanced capacity to create inclusive classrooms, practical tools for educators, and reinforced policy-level commitments.

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