The Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science & Technology is sending two officers to Seoul, South Korea to participate in an e-Learning training programme.

Michele Michael and Velva Willet of the award-winning Connect Antigua and Barbuda Initiative, will represent the nation at the three-week programme, which will be conducted by the Korean National IT Industry Promotion Agency.

The training programme includes study visits to the Korea National Open University, where the participants will be exposed to state-of-the-art techniques and diverse learning systems and educational programmes including the Internet, on-line, cable TV, education on Demand (EOD), CD-rom and radio. Other study visits are scheduled for Kyung Hee Cyber University, where the participants will be exposed to the concepts of open education and lifelong education by means of information technology over the Internet.

Antigua and Barbuda is continuing to position itself as a front-runner in the development of ICTs

The Antigua delegation will also visit the Korea Education and Research Information Service, which has increased Korea’s position as an e-learning leader by increasing global co-operation with e-learning partners around the world.

Meanwhile, a ministry release added that Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr. Edmond Mansoor, said that government is ensuring that Antigua and Barbuda participates fully in the 2009 Technical Cooperation Programme of the government of the Republic of Korea.

He added that Antigua and Barbuda is the only Caribbean country to participate in the e-learning training programme.

"Our representatives will benefit from advanced training in implementing e-learning in the context of our building a knowledge-driven economy," Mansoor said.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is covering all the expenses related to the training, including the round-trip air tickets, accommodation and meals.