The Pacific Open Courses win an OE Global Award 2025!
Developed through a partnership between the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), PACFOLD–Learn at the University of the South Pacific, and supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Pacific Open Courses were developed for teachers in the Pacific.
These courses promote open, distance, and flexible learning, allowing educators to freely access content and earn digital badges or certificates. One of the courses focuses on how to adapt course content for specific contexts and several of the courses have subsequently been adapted and re-offered by different stakeholders in the Pacific. The course content has also been adapted and re-used in other contexts, including most recently in sub-Saharan Africa.
“COL is committed to maximising open access to learning resources, and we are thankful to our partners in the Pacific region who have supported us to develop and share these open courses. We are grateful also to OE Global for recognising our collective efforts.”
— Tony Mays, Director: Education, COL
Congratulations to all our partners and contributors for this recognition of shared innovation in open and distant education
Open Education Global The University of the South Pacific New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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COL partners with Eswatini’s Ministry of Education to scale open Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country’s educational sector.
COL’s Adviser for Skills, Mr.Robert Okinda, met with Ms Naniki Mnisi, Eswatini’s Principal Secretary for Education and Training, to drive forward Open TVET initiatives.
Together, we are championing a shift to competency-based curricula and assessments (CBET) across formal and non-formal TVET pathways. Linking secondary, tertiary, and vocational training to workforce needs.
This initiative will involve institutions like Eswatini College of Technology (ECOT), Manzini Industrial Training Centre (MITC), Sebenta National Institute (SNI), Dvokolwako Rural Education Centre (RECs), and Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC), all under the guidance of MOET and key regulatory bodies.
The partnership embraces a hub-and-spoke decentralisation model, and core functions like policy and quality assurance will be centralized, while local institutions deliver tailored training to meet local community needs.
Read the full article to see how COL and Eswatini are reforming TVET to be more inclusive, responsive, and aligned across their education sector.
www.col.org/news/commonwealth-of-learning-collaborates-with-eswatinis-ministry-of-education-to-en...
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Join us for COL-VUSSC Voices Webinar #7 : “Literature as the ‘A’ in STEAM: Micro-Credential Pathways for Educators.”
This session explores how literature and the arts strengthen education in the digital age, and how micro-credentials can empower educators across the Commonwealth.
📅 Wednesday, October 22, 2025
🕘 9:00 AM PDT / Vancouver Time (Time Zone converter: www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html)
Chair: Dr Schontal Moore, VUSSC Adviser, COL.
Presenter: Dr Lisa Tomlinson, Head of Department of Literatures in English, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica.
Through the VUSSC Voices series, COL provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation—responding to Commonwealth countries' shared challenges and aspirations.
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