By Politico staff writer
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Technical & Higher Education Professor Alpha Tejan Wurie, on Friday 9th July 2020 joined the High Commissioner of India to Sierra Leone Rakesh Arora to inaugurate a Tele-Learning Centre for online education from select Indian Universities at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Tele- Learning Centre located at the college’s library consists of a Computer Lab & Multi-media Room for students for attending lectures and taking examinations. According to a report by the Indian High commission, government of Indian through it implementing agency Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) has supplied and installed all necessary equipment and furniture required to facilitate the effective running of the center.
The Learning Centre according to the report is established in accordance with an MoU signed between Sierra Leone and TCIL during the visit of India’s Vice President to Freetown in 2019. It noted that the project will be hosted on two different portals.
As part of plans, the eVBAB’s tele-medicine services which would include Continuing Medical Education and Tele-Consultations would also be launched by India in Sierra Leone by the end of the year. These services according to the report would be provided in two hospitals or medical institutions initially.
It noted that Sierra Leone is one of the 16 African countries where this Project has been rolled out.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Prof. Wurie said: “With the opening of eVBAB Learning Centre, a transformation is visible. The centre would ensure access to several books, journals and other academic material without having to travel outside of Sierra Leone. The students enrolled under this programme now have access to the best universities in India.”
He noted that more than 200 students from Sierra Leone have already enrolled in the programme and are pursuing online UG and PG courses. The Minister announced that a similar Centre would be set up at the Njala University by India.
In his statement, the High Commissioner said, the eVBAB Network Project is an effort to reach out to African countries and assist them in critical areas of education and health. The Project he said aims at providing quality tele-education and tele-medicine services by linking select Indian Universities, Institutions and Super Specialty Hospitals to African educational institutions and hospitals.
He said, “Under eVBAB’s tele-education services, Government of India will sponsor eligible Sierra Leoneans to enroll for online PG, UG, and short-term courses from Universities in India, participating in the programme.”
The High Commissioner hoped that the Learning Centre will supplement the efforts of the government which has a progressive agenda, with particular focus on education. The Project aligns well with the National Development Plan of the government whose key goal is human capital development.
The High Commissioner reiterated India’s commitment to strengthen and expand bilateral partnership with Sierra Leone, including in the field of education, training and skill development, as India approaches its 75th Independence Day in a few weeks.
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