Open And Distance Learning For Sustainable Development : The Southeast Asian Experience

In the light of ever-changing social and economic demands, education is now perceived as a critical force in contributing towards human capital development. In Southeast Asia, the ever increasing demand for higher education, coupled with numerous educational reforms in a number of countries, has resulted in the establishment of several open and distance learning (ODL) institutions. Through ODL, higher education in Southeast Asia is expected to experience new advancements with the collective aim of increasing the capacity for human capital development. This paper provides a snapshot of the Southeast Asian economic scenario, and how higher education and ODL will shape and influence the region’s ability to compete at a global level. The paper also discusses the prospects of a South-South collaboration between Southeast Asian and African ODL institutions. (Author's abstract