Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, June 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athabasca University, Canada’s online university, and the Commonwealth of Learning will host the 10th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF10) in Calgary in September 2022, marking the first time the international event will be held in Canada.

The Forum, which is held every three years, is one of the world’s leading international forums in open, distance, and technology-enabled learning, attracting hundreds of delegates from across the Commonwealth and beyond. Since 1999, the Forum has been held in Brunei Darussalam, Jamaica, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.

PCF10 is designed to promote discussion and develop recommendations for common action to widen education access and bridge the digital divide. The 2022 theme, Mainstreaming Open Learning for Recovery, Real Change, and Resilience, will focus on improving access to quality education to help advance the social and economic development of communities and nations across the Commonwealth in the face of global challenges.

“The Pan-Commonwealth Forum has travelled the world, and we are excited to bring it to Canada. This is an important milestone in our joint work with Athabasca University and an opportunity to lead the change in how we teach and learn.”

Professor Asha S. Kanwar, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning

“We are thrilled to be co-hosting such a prestigious event with colleagues from around the globe to look at the future of online education at this pivotal time in history. We need global cooperation to broaden access to education and overcome technological and economic barriers that exist in many parts of the world.”

Dr. Neil Fassina, President of Athabasca University

The conference includes the presentation of the Commonwealth of Learning’s Excellence in Distance Education Awards to those who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in open, distance, and technology-enhanced education.

About the Commonwealth of Learning

Created by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1987, the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) helps Member States and institutions harness the potential of distance learning and technologies to expand access to education and training and address the education challenges of today. For COL, learning is the key to sustainable development and must lead to opportunities for economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental conservation. Visit www.col.org for more details.

About Athabasca University

Athabasca University (AU), Canada’s online university, celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year. AU has a long history of being a leader and innovator in distributed learning. Today, AU is one of the world’s fastest-growing digital education institutions, serving more than 43,000 students worldwide. AU offers more than 950 courses at the undergraduate, graduate, diploma, and certificate program levels in addition to online professional development. Disciplines include arts, business, health, education, and science. Committed to advancing research, AU is home to Canada’s only UNESCO Chair in Open Education, four Canada Research Chairs, and two Campus Alberta Innovates Program Chairs. As one of the world’s first online universities, AU’s flexibility, openness, and accessibility give learners control over their educational journeys. AU removes barriers that restrict access to and success in university-level study no matter where they may be located. Visit AthabascaU.ca.

Carole Stevenson-Roy, MBA
Athabasca University
780-887-9100
communications@athabascau.ca

Natalia Angheli-Zaicenco, DPhil
Commonwealth of Learning
604-775-8263
NZaicenco@col.org