PANdora

PANdora was a study project conducted with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) during 2005-2008.

Summary

(adapted from http://www.pandora-asia.org/indexold.php)

IDRC funded a major series of distance learning studies in its Asia region. Nine collaborative projects were conducted by teams in 12 countries of the Pan Asia Networking (PAN) region.

The Project Coordinator was Dr. Naveed Malik (Rector: Virtual University of Pakistan), responsible for overall coordination and administration of the nine simultaneous sub-projects. The Deputy Coordinator was Dr. Tian Belawati (Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia).

The PANdora web site provides a focal point for information about the projects, and for online collaboration among the project teams.

The goal of the PAN projects was to develop practices and policies enhancing the use of distance learning technologies (DLT) in Asia. A model for the projects was the myth of Pandora's Box.

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman. A beautiful box was given to her, with instructions that she should never look inside it. Consumed by curiosity, Pandora opened the box and released all the cares and problems of the world. At the bottom of the box she found Hope, and the promise that through ingenuity and hard work the world can become a better place.

Full List of Participating Institutions

• Virtual University of Pakistan (VU): PANdora project leader
• Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia: PANdora project co-leader
• Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Pakistan
• Beijing Normal University (BNU), China
• English for Special Purposes Foundation (ESPF), Mongolia
• ** Fisheries College, Bac Ninh, Vietnam
• ** Health Sciences University of Mongolia (HSUM)
• Ho Chi Minh City Open University (HCMSOU), Vietnam
• ICT4D ASEAN Foundation Collaboratory, Indonesia
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India
• InfoCon Ltd, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• ** Institute of Information Technology (IIT), Vietnam
• Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), Cambodia
• Molave Development Foundation, Philippines
• National Science Council, Lao PDR
• ** Phnom Penh International University (PPIU), Cambodia
• Royal Government of Cambodia
• Samtse College of Education, Royal University of Bhutan (RUB)
• Science Technology and Environment Agency (STEA), Laos
• Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), Thailand
• ** University of Colombo School of Computing (UCSC), Sri Lanka
• University of Hong Kong (HKU)
• University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)
• Vigyan Prasar, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India

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