President Bharrat Jagdeo’s suggestion that an online university to provide tertiary education throughout the Commonwealth should be established is to be discussed at the upcoming Commonwealth Ministers of Education meeting scheduled for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Jagdeo, who was one of five Heads of State who held discussions with the youth representatives at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda recently, said that an online university should be modelled after the Open University in the United Kingdom, to provide tertiary education across the Commonwealth on a large scale.

He said that some countries in the Commonwealth have tremendous opportunities in providing online education, including some in Africa, India and Malaysia.

Instead of the Commonwealth providing few scholarships to member countries, he said, an online university would be able to train at least 100,000 students – including women and youths – with internet access each year.

At present many citizens of the Commonwealth do not have a connection with the Commonwealth, he said, adding that if they obtain a Commonwealth degree, they would not only be obtaining an education but they would make a connection with the Commonwealth which accounts for one-third of the world’s population.

Following his suggestion, he said, Guyana was asked to produce a paper with the recommendation for further discussion at the Commonwealth ministers meeting to be held in Kuala Lumpur in June 2009.