DHANARAJAN, Gajaraj
Vice-Chancellor and CEO, Wawasan Open University (Malaysia)
Session: Innovation - Increasing Access Through Technology
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
- 15.00-16.30
Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan (“Raj”) is a Malaysian and holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Madras, a D.I.C. and an M.Sc. from the Imperial College of the University of London and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Aston in Birmingham, U.K.
Dr. Dhanarajan is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading advocates and experts on open and distance learning. He has been involved in distance education and open learning for over 30 years. He participated in establishing a number of distance education systems in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Nigeria, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, South Pacific, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia between 1982 and 2004.
In mid-1989 he was invited by the colonial government of Hong Kong to help establish the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (now the Open University of Hong Kong) when he was first appointed as the Associate Director (Academic) and subsequently promoted to Director from 1991 – 1995. In 1992, the Institute honoured Dr. Dhanarajan by conferring on him the title of Professor, and then Professor Emeritus in 1995.
On completion of his term as CEO of the Open Learning Institute Hong Kong, in mid-1995, Prof. Dhanarajan was invited to be the second President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning [COL] based in Vancouver, Canada. COL is an intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth of Nations, with a mandate to support, enhance and promote open learning in the 54 member states of the Commonwealth. He retired as President of COL in late 1995 and assumed his current post as Vice-Chancellor of the Wawasan Open University, Malaysia’s newest university. Prof. Dhanarajan is a recipient of ten honorary degrees as well as Malaysia’s highest civilian award which carries the title of TAN SRI.
Dr. Dhanarajan is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading advocates and experts on open and distance learning. He has been involved in distance education and open learning for over 30 years. He participated in establishing a number of distance education systems in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Nigeria, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, South Pacific, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia between 1982 and 2004.
In mid-1989 he was invited by the colonial government of Hong Kong to help establish the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (now the Open University of Hong Kong) when he was first appointed as the Associate Director (Academic) and subsequently promoted to Director from 1991 – 1995. In 1992, the Institute honoured Dr. Dhanarajan by conferring on him the title of Professor, and then Professor Emeritus in 1995.
On completion of his term as CEO of the Open Learning Institute Hong Kong, in mid-1995, Prof. Dhanarajan was invited to be the second President and CEO of the Commonwealth of Learning [COL] based in Vancouver, Canada. COL is an intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth of Nations, with a mandate to support, enhance and promote open learning in the 54 member states of the Commonwealth. He retired as President of COL in late 1995 and assumed his current post as Vice-Chancellor of the Wawasan Open University, Malaysia’s newest university. Prof. Dhanarajan is a recipient of ten honorary degrees as well as Malaysia’s highest civilian award which carries the title of TAN SRI.
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