In Libya its another story!

We hear everyday about an update, or a new event in the distance learning, or e-learning society, but in Libya its another story.

For example, I wasn't able to get my degree in IT&IS Management until I left the country, although it is called distance learning, it does not reach Libya. There is not even a single educational institution that provides its services to prospective students within the Libyan borders, just one question on my mind: Why?

I hope my question finds its answer someday!​

 

Mr. Eljaroshi,

I am more than sure you already know the answer to this question, and coming in here to ask this question, to me is like instigating a fight for no reason. The why is not that important as the how!

 

I didn't try really hard (30 seconds) but I couldn't get a website for the Ministry of Education in Libya. However, I got this

http://www.geocities.com/abdeljar/index.htm

Hey Abdel - We've got something in common.

 

OK, I'll bite.

According to this web site, in the 1990s the government moved from centralized state-run universities to nine individual universities run at the regional or municipal level. While Libya is basically a socialist state, it is big on decentralizing all aspects of government into a system which is run at the local level.

Like many Arab states, Libya is very big on sending students abroad for higher education. Now that Khadaffi has renounced state support of terrorism and dismantled the country's clandestine nuclear program the U.S. has become more open to allowing some of those students to come to the U.S., and allowing U.S. institutions to look at establishing programs in Libya. Many of Libya's higher education programs concentrate on technical and vocational studies, fields which don't exactly lend themselves to distance education.

Another roadblock is that while Libya does have broadband internet access, many people access it through internet cafes (and its use is said to be closely monitored by the government). Internet access is something that only recently became widely available in Libya. I suppose there could be correspondence programs, but with many students choosing to study abroad there probably hasn't been much incentive for the universities to develop distance learning programs.

As an aside, I have always thought the Roman ruins in Libya would be fascinating to visit, but I will wait until the country's tourism industry is more fully developed and it becomes safer for Americans to travel there.

 

I don't know whether or not any Libyan higher education institutions offer distance learning programs. You will have to inquire about that yourself.

Regarding distance learning offered by universities outside Libya, I'm not sure what's preventing Libyans from enrolling.

Is enrolling in foreign distance learning programs illegal in Libya and/or are foreign DL degrees unrecognized in that country? Do Libyans lack access to the internet? Do they lack reliable postal service? Is there a lack of Arabic-language DL offerings? Do Libyans lack the foreign-language skills that would enable them to negotiate programs offered in different languages?

Or are you suggesting that distance learning programs around the world are all denying entry to Libyans because of their country of origin? I find that last possibility hard to believe.

 

As for Vinipink, the answer for (how) is easy to figure out, because there are a lot of proposals, and believe me they are very strong proposals to support international distance learning programs in Libya, or to enable Libyan institutions to start their own distance learning programs. The problem is that these proposals are not put to implementation, they are not even tested by the authorities, even in the private sector they are rejected, and there the (why) still remains.

Dear Kizmet, you may find and browse a government website for the ministry of education, even compare and know about the educational system in Libya, as Savvy Frugality did, but the thing is the truthfulness of the information, because these kind of information are based on reports issued by the government, or surveyors (independent) who unfortunately do not live the life of Libyan students.

Ministry of Education (http://www.education-ly.com/) ARABIC ONLY
Ministry of Higher Education (http://www.higheredu.gov.ly/) ARABIC ONLY

As for internet, Libya does have an easy accessible broadband internet, and it is available for every one, at very reasonable prices, this is not an obstacle.

You might find a commercial for a distance learning program by a Libyan university, but do know that it is only a media propaganda, and there is no application of it.

As for Libyan high education institutes, those exceed 16, at least 1 or 2 in every major city, but they are all accredited as the 1953 established: Libyan University.

Tourism is good, foreigners are safe, don't worry if your coming to visit the country, you'll find it suitable, but that's another issue.

Foreign distance learning programs do not support or offer their services in Libya, and they offer it in Tunisia, or Egypt, but Libya is excluded. Some private institutions offer learning programs for foreign institutions, but these are only language programs. Other offer technology certifications like MCSE, and CCNA, but these include a must attend courses, and you are not allowed to buy materials and not attend some of the distance learning courses, you have to attend, and pay for your attendance, this makes these courses loose their distance learning advantage, and become (very very close learning, sort of a breath to breath courses). So your last question:

Is actually true!

 

Quote:
Or are you suggesting that distance learning programs around the world are all denying entry to Libyans because of their country of origin? I find that last possibility hard to believe.

Is actually true!

I find this extremely hard to believe (unless perhaps for financial reasons) - what proof do you have?
A recent post discussed Open University of Maylaysia - http://www.oum.edu.my/portal/ - have you tried there?

 

For many years, Open University in England did not allow people in the United States to enroll. I heard from some of my readers in the US that they had taken out a convenience address in the UK, and were happily enrolled in Open U using that. I put this information in my book, and subsequently got a very annoyed letter from Open University, but the info remained in the book until their policy changed. Same thing should work for students in Libya.

John Bear
Author, Bears Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning

 

Because of my long involvement with marketing the Heriot-Watt University (Scotland) distance MBA program, I am on many mailing lists. A month or so ago, I got an invitation for the Heriot-Watt distance program to buy a booth at the Education Libya 2008 trade show, to be held in Tripoli on November 3-4-5. The letter invites distance learning schools to "be there and inform Libyans about the distance learning opportunities offered at your campus..."

The letter suggests this show has been held every year. Here is a URL:
http://tinyurl.com/5v6flg

So, what (I wonder) am I missing here?

 

Great info, Dr. Bear. Here is a link to the Education Libya 2008 site.

 

I hope you're not offended if I don't schedule my vacation based on an offhand statement from an anonymous newbie.

 

While I'm glad that distance learning is spreading across the globe, it's hard to get real excited about a program that is ARABIC ONLY. There are programs in India as well as China as well as etc. but we don't spend too much time discussing them because they are not open to the general global public. Thanks.

 

Assuming that an English language program is suitable, try going to Google and doing some searches. I tried a search for 'Libya' and "distance learning" and got thusands of hits.

They included online request more information forms about DL programs offered by Indiana State U., Saint Leo and the University of Leicester. Each one included Libya among the selections on their country menus, suggesting that they don't have any problem with enrolling students from there. The University of Aberdeen indicates that they already have DL students located in Libya. And there was even a representative from the University of Strathclyde visiting Libya, busily trying to sell Strathclyde's DL programs to the Libyan Petroleum Institute for their employees.

I got tired of looking after maybe twenty hits, but there's plenty more where that came from. I didn't see any indication that universities are refusing to accept Libyans.

Does Google have an Arabic language version? I expect that searches there would kick up a lot of interesting stuff too.

 

The University of Bedfordshire specifically offers scholarships to Libyan students, so that would tend to throw water on the argument that schools in other countries won't accept Libyan students.

 

This is a 2004 press release from the U.S. State Department:

Libyan Education Delegation Arrives in U.S.

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to welcome a delegation of senior Libyan education representatives that is arriving in the United States today, Monday, June 28. The delegation of nine education ministry,university, and education sector representatives will meet with U.S. leaders and policy makers in government, American universities, international exchange organizations and professional education associations. The delegation will begin their three-week U.S. program in Washington, DC, and will continue with consultations in Baltimore, MD; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and New York, New York.

This program, facilitated by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the next step in the process of reestablishing educational ties between Libya and the United States. The program gives the delegation an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with changes in U.S. higher education, international exchange programs and the policies that have an impact on international scholars, and reciprocates an official U.S. education delegation visit to Libya that took place April 24-29, 2004.

The group will focus on future educational exchange opportunities and priorities for cooperation with the U.S. higher education community. The return of Libyan students to the U.S. for study in community colleges, colleges and universities is an important step toward the normalization of ties between the two countries.

 

Thank you for reminding me with the LIBYAN EDUCATION EXHIBITION, as I have mentioned before, these activities are MEDIA PROPAGANDA activities, you might not believe it, but from the Libyan students' point of view, its true.

Universities visit the country in exhibitions and other events, some attendance schools enroll Libyan students that have scholarships from the Libyan government, but for students who wish to enroll in a DL program on their own, it is impossible, because there are no schools who offer Libyans enrollment in DL programs, Mr. Bear you said:

I hope you did get to buy this booth, and go visit this exhibition, because this will be the first for a foreign DL program to offer enrollment for Libyan students, so watch out for the response.

As I explained to Savvy Frugality about exhibitions being a propagandist activity, because they are actually held, and well covered, but they were never followed by any actions of implementation.

As for Mr. Kizmit, my invitation is still open, and excuse me for saying: You are welcomed in my homeland whenever you change your mind, and you won't ever regret visiting this historically rich piece of land.

As for education being concentrated on ARABIC, I am proud to support education being in the native tongue, but on the other hand education is an international language, and for it being exclusively concentrated on the native language, this will leave users in seclusion, this is why a group of Libyans started LDELA (Libyan Distance and Electronic Learning Association).

You can look it up on the internet, you'll find plenty of news, and articles mentioning DL programs as partnerships between Libyan institutions and foreign ones, but your are not living my problem, these are only plans, or so what called agreements that are not put to action.

I will try contacting Bedfordshire to get to know more about its DL and teaching mechanisms, on which I'll support my answers. Thank you!

As for the arrival of the Libyan education representatives in the US, that only means Libyan students can be sent to the US to learn, and gain graduate and postgraduate degrees, this doesn't mean an approval of a clear or possible DL or eLearning plan or programs.

Signed: Anonymous Newbie

 

As you say: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5210117

but watch who you're calling Mr., mister.

 

Out of curiosity I sent a message to one of the big three asking if they would accept students resident in Libya. Here is their reply
"Because all of our courses are offered online, students can live anywhere in the world and still take our courses and pursue degrees with our college."
I have no doubt this applies to most US universities offering DL programs.
I hope this is of use to you. PM me if you want the institution I contacted.

 

There might still be some hard feelings over the US Navy & US Air Force destroying Gaddafi's mansion, sinking his Navy, killing his daughter, blowing up the French embassy, etc.

 

Ian, thanks for helping me find a DL institution that might accept a Libyan student.

Sorry Kzimit, but what should I call you (Ms, Mrs...???).

And Bruce, I don't think that there are any hard feelings, the U.S. Navy and Air Forces targeted military sites, and I forgive their "forgive my American" ((stupidity)) if they missed and hit a civilian house "mansion", and killed a little innocent girl.

Glad to clear this misunderstanding!