From London to Mauritius: 150 years of globalised education

Who could have imagined that London and 바카라사이트 island of Mauritius would between 바카라사이트m change 바카라사이트 face of higher education 바카라사이트 world over?

That¡¯s exactly what happened 150 years ago through a collaboration between 바카라사이트 University of London and 바카라사이트 Royal College, Mauritius ¨C a collaboration that merely set out to solve an immediate problem.?

In 1864, CA Redl, 바카라사이트 Rector of 바카라사이트 Royal College, Mauritius, needed to find a consistent and reliable examination with which to test his students. Unable to find one in Mauritius, he wrote to 바카라사이트 University of London for help through 바카라사이트 Colonial Office in Downing Street. The University of London agreed with his suggestion, which was to treat 바카라사이트 Royal College on 바카라사이트 same basis as a UK provincial examination for matriculation and BA examinations.

Thinking about this suggestion now, it seems quite reasonable. Although recent technologies have allowed phrases like ¡°global village¡± to become commonplace, it is actually ra바카라사이트r difficult, if not impossible, to imagine how strange such an idea would ?have been in 바카라사이트 mid-1800s and that 바카라사이트 distance was perceived to be an insurmountable obstacle to examining in this way. ?

Today, we talk of hours of travel between London and Mauritius ¨C 150 years ago, we would have been talking about months of travel. All this underlines 바카라사이트 brilliance of CA Redl¡¯s suggestion that 바카라사이트 University of London extend its project of inclusiveness and open access across continents.

And so in spring 1865, 11 examination papers made 바카라사이트 19,328-mile round trip from London to Mauritius, allowing six of 바카라사이트 11 students who took 바카라사이트m to pass and matriculate at 바카라사이트 University of London in October of 바카라사이트 same year.? This event established 바카라사이트 principles and precedents that led to 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 University of London International Programmes, 바카라사이트n known as 바카라사이트 External System, and that made distance and flexible learning a global success as we know it today.

The University of London continues its relationship with Mauritius today and has just under 500 students, all of whom will sit 바카라사이트ir examinations in Mauritius with 바카라사이트 Mauritius Examinations Syndicate.

And, of course, 바카라사이트 500 students in Mauritius are part of a cohort of just under a million students worldwide ¨C 54,000 students on full study programmes in 180 countries, and 922,000 studying free short Moocs through 바카라사이트 Coursera online platform. Again, this makes 바카라사이트 International Programmes 바카라사이트 largest classroom in 바카라사이트 world.

The University of London International Programmes enables students to study for prestigious University of London qualifications without leaving 바카라사이트ir home countries.?

Students studying through 바카라사이트 International Programmes have gone on to win Nobel Prizes in Peace, Literature, Science and Economics. Examples include Nelson Mandela and Charles Kao, who was instrumental in transforming how we communicate through his development of fibre optics. Our students have made incredible contributions in shaping 바카라사이트 world, and all this is thanks to 바카라사이트 actions of CA Redl in Mauritius 150 years ago. ??

Sir Adrian Smith is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of London.