Opening Remarks at the Workshop “Designing Learning Interventions that Last" Sri Lanka

NaokoIshii, Country Director

World Bank Sri Lanka

Opening Remarks at the Workshop “Designing Learning Interventions that Last”

11 February, 2008

Board of Directors of the Distance Learning Center, Sri Lanka

(Members at the head table)

Hans Fraeters, Manager, GDLN World Bank Institute, who is joining us by video conferencing

Michael Foley, GDLN Coordinator for South Asia, World Bank

Participants, Distinguished guests

GDLN and World Bank colleagues

            Good morning and the warmest welcome to participants from all South Asian countries and from Sri Lanka to this workshop. The Center here is Sri Lanka’s premier GDLN center.  I am proud to say that this center was set up as a result of joint collaboration between the Government of Sri Lanka and the World Bank through a Learning and Innovation Loan nearly six years ago in 2002. 

            Knowledge and learning are key pillars of the new direction and strategy of the World Bank as presented by its new president. The vision here is that we learn from each other (bank and clients), learn across borders and share knowledge from best practice around the world.

            A key aspect of the knowledge pillar is the value we place on partnerships with knowledge institutions-- Partnerships with universities and university networks; partnerships with civil service colleges; partnerships with research institutes; partnerships with ministries and development agencies; partnerships with civil society and the private sector. This is not about the Bank pushing its knowledge; it is about the Bank cultivating the sharing of knowledge among its partners. We prefer to be a convener rather than an instructor. By acting on this principle, scope of knowledge we can jointly tap would become limitless.

            Sri Lanka is a country that places high value on knowledge.  Many stories abound in Sri Lanka but I would like to take this one where use of new ICT has revitalized a village.  It is best illustrated by the village Mahavillachiya, in North Central Anuradhapura. Here one man had a vision to bring a new technology to teach English to rural children. His vision has resulted in a modern e-village which does Business Process Outsourcing and has created international interest and local interest to replicate it nation wide.

              This man with this vision, Mr. Nanadasiri Wanninayake, is with us today to build his capacity as a capacity builder. In a world where there is constant innovation and new technologies he does recognize that this is an opportunity not to be missed.

            New methods in adult learning have evolved and new tools are available to us. With the opportunity to harness the power of ICT, we also need to build the capacity of capacity builders.   We need to learn how to make best use of all the possibilities that these tools and methods offer. That is why you are here.

            As participants this week, you are our partners in learning. And during the next five days, you will learn how to blend these new tools and methods to offer quality learning services to your clients and colleagues.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Sri Lanka Distance Learning Center, the World Bank Institute, and my colleagues in the South Asia GDLN team for putting this important workshop together. I look forward to hearing more on the results of your work later this week.

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