| Summary: | The very foundation of open and distance learning (ODL) has been
intrinsically linked to the creation of broader access and better
opportunities in higher education. In the last several decades since the
internet revolution, ODL has made tremendous strides in granting an
unprecedented number of people with the opportunity to obtain a
university degree. This new phenomenon has created a learning
community that can interact, share and collaborate outside traditional
notions of time and space; thus, helping to create and strengthen global
competencies for a world that places ever greater esteem on the
attainment of higher education.
Central to this effort to build a global learning community is the move
towards cross-border provision and internationalisation. The open and
borderless nature of ODL means that open universities are free to
explore internationalisation as a means to expand their operations by
offering academic programmes overseas. For Malaysia’s premier ODL
institution, Open University Malaysia (OUM) takes its internationalisation
efforts seriously. With a delivery system and various e-learning
initiatives designed to provide ease and flexibility through ODL, OUM
has been able to stamp its mark as a viable educational provider in
several countries such as Yemen, Bahrain, the Maldives and Ghana.
OUM has also recently launched a collaboration with an educational
institution in Hungary.
The university has certainly come a long way since its strategic
partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education in Saudi Arabia for the
establishment of their National e-Learning Centre (NeLC) in Riyadh four
years ago. Through these endeavours, OUM hopes to play a key role as
Malaysia forges ahead in its drive towards a global educational
excellence. This paper will illustrate OUM’s internationalisation efforts
and examine the factors that have been vital in the success of this
international outreach. This paper will also explore the various facets of
ODL in reaching out to a global community. (Abstract by author)
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