What is the Commonwealth of Learning

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL is helping developing nations improve access to quality education and training.

Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, COL is the world's only intergovernmental organisation dedicated solely to promoting and delivering distance education and open learning, and is the only official Commonwealth agency located outside Britain.

Mandated to be in the vanguard of technological change in education and training, COL and its international network of partner organisations have helped the Commonwealth's 54 member nations and their citizens realise widespread access to quality, current education and training for over fifteen years. Fully operational since 1989, COL is financially supported by Commonwealth governments on a voluntary basis. It responds to Commonwealth needs through in-country and regional programmes and initiatives, as well as fee-for-service consulting for international agencies and national governments.

Although it is a tiny intergovernmental body, not a donor agency, COL has helped Commonwealth countries give millions of people new opportunities to learn over the two decades of its existence. The secret of its success is to empower governments, institutions and individuals to develop learning systems themselves without relying on donors.