Commonwealth of Learning

Company profile

Commonwealth of Learning company profile

Commonwealth of Learning is a non-profit intergovernmental organization, encouraging the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources, and technologies. It is the world’s only intergovernmental organization solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning. The organization helps developing nations improve access to quality education and training. Commonwealth of Learning is governed by an international Board of Governors chaired by Linda Sissons, formerly Chief Executive Officer, Wellington Institute of Technology, New Zealand. Six major voluntary contributors, currently Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, have representatives on its Board of Governors. It also has representatives from all four regions of the Commonwealth Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Australia has recently re-joined Commonwealth of Learning as a funder. With some 45 employees distributed between its headquarters in Burnaby, Canada and the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia in New Delhi, India, Commonwealth of Learning reflects the cultural diversity and breadth of the Commonwealth. Its senior staff members, who serve on rotation, are recruited from around the Commonwealth in a wide range of distance education and administrative fields. Commonwealth of Learning was created in 1988 by Commonwealth Heads of Government and is hosted by the Government of Canada.