China and the World Bank today launched a new distance learning center in Shanghai hosted and managed in partnership with the Shanghai National Accounting Institute (SNAI). This brings the number of distance learning centers in China to a total of seven -- and there are 7 more underway. There are now 17 fully active centers in the East Asia and Pacific region and more than 70 centers worldwide.
The Global Development Learning Network is a global partnership of distance learning centers around the world that work together to use modern information and communication technology to build local capacity, share knowledge, and support a range of learning and development initiatives.
Most of the centers in China are located in the poorer western provinces and aim to help development and poverty reduction in those areas using information technology to promote distance education and training as well as information and knowledge dissemination. Such an initiative is particularly important as China is rapidly evolving to a position of leadership and influence as a knowledge provider.
SNAI is a Chinese government-sponsored institute, affiliated with the Ministry of Finance, and provides extensive training in accountancy, management and finance to CPAs and CFOs. SNAI trains 20,000 people annually and runs a pioneering on-line project supported by the Ministry of Finance to provide accountants and financial professionals with distance education. SNAI has reached over 100,000 people since June 2004 providing e-learning programs and learning support through its website (www.esnai.net).
The new Shanghai Distance Learning Center at SNAI provides real time satellite-linked two-way and multi-point videoconferencing with all the existing distance learning sites in China and the region, but also connects to the CICPA Distance Education Network with services provided by China Unicom, covering 31 provinces in China.
The new Shanghai Center was launched by Mr. Guan Yimin, vice president of SNAI and Mr. Jeff Gutman, director of Strategy and Operations of the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Region. Gutman welcomed SNAI as the newest member to the regional and global network. Gutman said:
“Effective development requires continuous exchange of relevant information, knowledge and expertise on a timely basis and the regional distance learning network is a powerful tool for training and a practical way of finding solutions on the ground for some of our toughest problems,” said Gutman. “China is using the new information technology to find those solutions and with SNAI’s leadership in distance education in China we can increase the impact of our work.”
In his remarks, Guan Yimin said that “SNAI can now increase its efforts to train more specialists in China and develop and implement more interactive learning solutions with partners in China and across the region.”
To coincide with the launch, from July 27 to 29, SNAI is hosting at its facility in Shanghai the 8th Meeting of the East Asia & Pacific Association of the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), the regional body which administers the regional network which meets at least once a year to review the progress achieved in the last eight month and discuss ways to move ahead.
The objectives of the meeting include:
- Showcase the expansion of the China regional network, acknowledge the contribution of donors, and introduce EAPA members to the China Domestic Development Learning Network (CDDLN);
- Present and review key issues on the business planning process for the regional network;
- Review distance learning center business case studies for Australia, PNG and Vietnam and identify lessons learned and key issues for the next group of Distance learning centers which will work on revising their business plans;
- Discuss key elements of a business model for the East Asian and Pacific network to improve efficiency; and
- Reports from the various committees in the regional network--marketing, technology and quality
Significant achievements have been made in the development of the regional network in the last eight months. In the East Asia and Pacific region, the Tokyo Development Learning Center was launched on June 1, by the World Bank President Mr. James D. Wolfensohn. By the end of 2004, four new Distance Learning Centers are expected to be launched in Indonesia, one in Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam and one in Cambodia.
The World Bank is encouraging greater efforts to scale up the use of the distance learning centers. At the recent Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction in Shanghai and the nine-month Global Learning Process preceding the Conference, distance learning centers around the world were connected to participate in the discussions by development specialists across the world on “what works, what does not work, and why.” Distance learning centers have been used to release major World Bank research studies, including regional studies such as the Global Production Networking and Technological Change in East Asia, Global Change and East Asian Policy Initiatives, and the Half Yearly East Asia and Pacific Economic Update. They have also been considered a core component of the World Bank’s outreach program and a key vehicle for the Bank’s training programs and operational activities.
Over 70 participants from most East Asian and Pacific countries attended the Shanghai meeting, including representatives of the distance learning centers in China, as well as the Chinese Ministry of Finance and the Western Region Development Office of the State Council which have worked with the World Bank to establish the knowledge network in China.
(China.org.cn July 27, 2004)
