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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC)

National University of Samoa (NUS)
#SDGAction39976
Description
Description
The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) is a network of small countries committed to the collaborative development of free content resources for use in an educational context. Participating countries focus on the collaborative development of post-secondary, skills-related courses in areas such as tourism, entrepreneurship, disaster management, life skills, use of information and communication technologies, and small fisheries management. The materials produced by the VUSSC countries are non-proprietary and are readily adaptable for use in specific country contexts.It is important to note that the VUSSC is not a tertiary institution. Rather, it is a mechanism for small countries to collaboratively develop, adapt and share courses and learning materials. It is also a forum for institutions to build capacity and expertise in online collaboration, eLearning and information and communication technologies (ICT) in general.The broad developmental objective of VUSSC is to increase the human resource capacity that small states of the Commonwealth require to ensure that they are able to participate effectively in global economies and thrive as equal, sustainable and resilient members of the world community.
Implementation of the Project/Activity

Ministry officials and institutional representatives from each of the 53 participating countries serve as interlocutors, representing their countries during VUSSC planning meetings. The interlocutors are responsible for nominating participants for the course development and training workshops. They also participate directly in planning meetings and the Transnational Qualification Framework meetings.The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is building capacity in online materials development among educators in small states of the Commonwealth by hosting intensive training workshops or "boot camps". Educators from small states learn computer literacy skills and how to collaboratively develop learning materials. Upon return to their home countries, workshop participants continue to collaborate on course materials and share their skills with colleagues. The sixth VUSSC training workshop, scheduled for late 2009 in Samoa, will focus on creating learning materials related to the maritime industry.

Capacity

VUSSC launched its own website in 2009 (see http://www.vussc.org/). The site is a gateway to information about VUSSC activities and resources, including online courses in subjects such as disaster management, entrepreneurship, life skills and tourism. Developed by educators from small states of the Commonwealth, the VUSSC courses are freely available to anyone for download, adaptation and use.VUSSC courses cover a variety of areas including:- Introducing Distance Education- Starting Your Own Business- Disaster Management- Life Skills Development- Linux for IT Managers- Successful Project Management- Tour Guiding- Training Educators to Design and Develop Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Materials- Postgraduate Diploma in Education Leadership- Plus more

Partners
All participating countries contribute their available resources and expertise to the VUSSC initiative. The small states (usually defined as having populations of fewer than 1.5 million) make up two-thirds of the 53 countries in membership of the Commonwealth. Each of the countries usually has one national university. The intention of VUSSC is to stimulate an increase in the course offerings in these smaller countries and to create a mechanism to enable the transfer of credits and qualified people across borders of countries.

The 53 countries included in VUSSC are:

Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Darussalum, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles (The Republic of), Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Goal 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Goal 4

4.1

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.1.1

Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex

4.1.2

Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)

4.2

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

4.2.1

Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex

4.2.2

Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

4.3

By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.3.1

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

4.4

By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

4.4.1

Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

4.5

By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations
4.5.1

Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated

4.6

By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

4.6.1

Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

4.7

By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

4.7.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment

4.a

Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

4.a.1

Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

4.b

By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries
4.b.1

Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study

4.c

By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

4.c.1

Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

Development of course content for institutions
Skills development for staff in use of ICT and OERs
In-kind contribution
Training facilities depending on host country
Financing (in USD)
Member countries contributions to COL to the amount of USD11 million per year
Other, please specify
Donations by private organisations (e.g. Hewlett Foundation)
Staff / Technical expertise
Expertise and knowledge sharing
Staff / Technical expertise
Expertise and knowledge sharing
Title Progress Status Submitted
Partnership Progress 2018-10-30 Completed
False
Action Network
Small Island Developing States
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Timeline
01 January 1970 (date of completion)
Entity
Commonwealth of Learning Board
SDGs
4
Region
  1. Africa
  2. Europe
  3. North America
  4. Asia and Pacific
Countries
Samoa
Samoa
Contact Information

Letuimanu'asina Dr Emma Kruse Va'ai, Commonwealth of Learning Board Member

e.krusevaai@nus.edu.ws