About the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)

The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) is a non-profit organization of higher learning institutions that are primarily concerned with open and distance education. It strives to widen the educational opportunities available to all people in Asia and to improve the quality of the institutions in terms of their educational management, teaching and research. It promotes education by distance teaching systems, as well as professional and ethical standards; develops potentialities of open and distance education; cooperates with official bodies and others directly or indirectly interested in education at a distance; and facilitates cooperation with other similar regional and international bodies.

The concept of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) originated during the 1st Regional Seminar on Distance Education held in November-December, 1986, at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank and STOU, in co-operation with UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (PROAP). The Seminar gave an opportunity for the heads of open universities in Asia (India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) to discuss the establishment of the AAOU and draft the Constitution which was then taken back to the respective institutions for further discussions and consideration. Subsequently, all prospective AAOU members made a firm commitment to support and join the AAOU with an understanding to cooperate towards increasing the educational opportunities available to all people of the region.

The AAOU Inaugural Meeting and Research Conference was thus organized by Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, the University of the Air, and the National Institute of Multi Media Education, Japan, in cooperation with UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (PROAP), which supported the AAOU through financial assistance for the air travel of the heads or representatives of the participating institutions to the AAOU Conference.

Two sessions of the AAOU Inaugural Meeting and Research Conference were scheduled, the first venue being Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand from 13-14 November, 1987, and the latter being the Tokyo Garden Palace Hotel, Japan, 16-18 November, 1987.

It is expected that the establishment of the AAOU will serve as a link for close cooperation among open universities in the Asian region and other existing regional and international organizations, and as the AAOU continues to progress, more open universities will become members, creating even more potentiality for all the people of this region to acquire an education and thus play a larger role in the social and economic development of their respective countries.

The AAOU membership consists of Full and Associate members. Our members share a common belief that the development of distance education can be obtained through friendship and close exchanges among institutions of open higher learning.

The AAOU Annual Conference, hosted in turn by member institutions, is a stimulating forum for all those associated with open and distance learning in Asia, particularly academics, administrators and students. It provides a focal point for bringing everyone up to date on the issues, ideas and developments in the field of open distance learning.

www.aaou.org 

About the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Open University System (PUP-OUS)

The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) started as a small business school integrated into the public school system. The objective was to train for the needs of a modernizing economy and an expanding civil service bureaucracy. At that time, the private sector needed professionals to manage businesses and handle specialized tasks like bookkeeping and accounting, retail management, and cross-border trade. The public sector, on the other hand, required the services of those with expertise in public finance and budgeting, policy implementation, and bureaucratic management, among others.

At this early stage in the evolution of PUP, the academic offerings expanded to include vocational training, signaling a shift towards practical skills. This aligned with the American model characterized by practical skills on top of efficiency and workforce readiness. Broadly, the shift meant an emphasis on office administration, commerce and trade courses, industrial and technical training, and governance training.

PUP evolved further to be a comprehensive polytechnic university, transitioning with a narrow focus on commerce and business administration, banking and finance, economics, and public administration in the mid-fifties to a polytechnic institution two decades later with offerings in engineering and technology, education, applied sciences and information technology, social sciences, entrepreneurship, and cooperative development.

PUP has established itself as a leading institution of higher learning, nurturing dominance across many domains. With a relatively small budget, it caters to more than eighty thousand students, becoming the largest university in the country.

demand inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches - that is, the availability of educated labor able to deal with unique challenges.

In licensure examinations, PUP has been consistent, producing topnotchers in Architecture, Psychometrician, CPA, Engineering, Nutrition-Dietition, etc. More importantly, the passing percentage has always been higher than the national average.

If the ultimate test is employability, PUP is undisputed, maintaining the number one position for years in a row, according to Jobstreet, a leading job portal in the country that caters to both employers and job seekers across industries. While it is common knowledge that PUP alumni are highly skilled, their claim to employability is further cemented by a positive attitude and ability to work in team.

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The PUP Open University System (PUP-OUS) is an incarnation of PUP’s philosophy. Among other reasons, it uses education as a tool for development by making accessible, flexible, and lifelong learning opportunities available. And it bridges the gap between the academe and the industry.

PUP OUS came into existence in 1990, a bold step at a time when face-to-face classes were the norm. A few degree and diploma courses were delivered through printed modules. Classes were mostly on weekends.

In the following decades, PUP OUS has evolved with more curricular offerings in business, education, information technology, communication, and engineering. These encompass undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.

PUP OUS has embraced innovations associated with the Internet, maximizing online platforms. By leaps and bounds, this has democratized access to education, allowing the employed, as well as unlikely clients like persons with disabilities, mothers, college dropouts, and persons deprived of liberty, to earn a degree. PUP OUS' audacious exploration of flexible options and accommodation of non-traditional clients has been revolutionary by any known standards.