Last month Public Learn, a one-stop shop of free courses from some of the world’s leading institutions, was launched at the Chamber Hall of the Presidential Secretariat, under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Public Learn was created for the people of Sri Lanka as a gift from Regent Global, whose co-founders Dr Selva and Tharshiny Pankaj both left Sri Lanka during the civil war. Public Learn makes it easy to find free courses on almost any subject, including transformational educational courses created by Dr. Selva Pankaj that are usually only available to students enrolled at Regent Global institutions.
Transforming the nation
Speaking at the launch, President Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of adapting. He said: “We are living in a knowledge intensive society. In that society, if we are to get ahead, we should also join the race and come out in the top layers.” He explained that, “economic transformation will require the transformation of our thinking” and that Sri Lanka must swiftly advance in digitisation to drive economic transformation.
The President described Public Learn as “an instrument which paves the way for a large number of Sri Lankans to get ahead in their life and to transform their country.” Public Learn can help Sri Lankans to advance the country, by providing opportunities for learning after school, without traditional classrooms, and by helping to address the shortage of skilled, experienced teachers.
Maximising potential with inside-out education
At the launch, joint CEO and co-founder of Regent Global Dr. Selva Pankaj emphasised the huge potential that the Sri Lankan people have. He expressed his hope that Public Learn would help people to build a brighter future through lifelong learning. Dr. Pankaj highlighted the value of the “inside-out education” opportunities available through Public Learn; while outside-in education is about gaining knowledge, inside-out education helps people to develop themselves. The inside-out education courses available through Public Learn include Thinking into Character, The Mindset, The Power of Learning from DAD and Think and Grow Rich. Dr. Pankaj explained that the ideas in these courses transformed the lives of many Americans from the 1930s to the 1970s and that, today, the leaders of the fastest growing companies in Silicon Valley, California follow the same principles. He said: “These courses show what we can achieve when we tap into our natural intelligence and cultivate the right mindset. They’re about growing as a person, developing the character, attitude and mindset that you need to succeed in life.
“Our world is changing rapidly. People need to be able to make the most of their unique human potential – Natural Intelligence – in the face of technological advancements including Artificial Intelligence. I believe that inside-out education is key to that.”
Making dreams reality
Dr. Pankaj underlined the power of the programmes: “The future is for those who dare to dream and find the courage to pursue their dreams. All of us have dreams. The inside-out education programmes on Public Learn, some of them influenced by my professor Clay Christensen at Harvard and Stanford Online, can teach you how to design the outcomes that you want to execute those dreams and create the future that you desire.”
Dr Pankaj finished by explaining that what matters is how people use what Public Learn provides. Go to the courses button on the main navigation on any page of the www.publiclearn.lk to choose inside-out or outside-in education and explore the range of free courses available.
Image Credit : President’s Media Division, Sri Lanka