What is the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth? A Guide for Commonwealth Vice-Chancellors

Abstract

In 2000, fearing that their countries would be left behind by the Internet revolution, the Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth's 32 small states decided to create the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUUSC). This is not a new degree-awarding institution but rather a network that enables ministries and tertiary institutions to engage collectively with eLearning. The Commonwealth of Learning is facilitating the project. So far some 500 people have been trained in the skills of collaborative online working and teams made up of academics from many small states have developed eLearning materials, in the form of Open Learning Resources, in the areas of tourism and hospitality, life skills, professional development for teachers, disaster management, fisheries and building safety. A Transnational Qualifications Framework is a translation point between the regions and provides momentum for the transfer of courses, qualifications and learners between countries.