U of Washington offers new certificate in India

A new University of Washington English language program that relies on computer software and facilitators to teach business communication skills has already attracted 1200 enrollments in India.

The Certificate in Professional Communication is a three-course, English-language program that teaches students communication skills, the English fundamentals of computer software, and personal effectiveness skills for the workplace. The program is being offered by the UW and Globarena, an educational technology company based in Hyderabad, India.

This program delivers lessons on compact discs to students in their final year at selected universities in India. To qualify, students must first take a test to establish their skills and determine if they are ready for the program. Those who pass go on to take the lessons on computers at several learning centers in accredited colleges, getting help from facilitators at each site, and participating in online discussions with other students. After completing the 130 hours of instruction and passing a final exam, students earn a certificate from the University of Washington Educational Outreach. Tuition for the program is $173.

“This is a very exciting program that combines our expertise in English language instruction and e-learning with Globarena’s innovative delivery of content and learning management system,” said Anita Sökmen, coordinator of this certificate program. “We are particularly pleased that the technology employed in this program will be offered at a cost that will allow many students to benefit”.

Sökmen said the program offers an outstanding blend of educational features: online diagnostic and assessment tools, interactive computer-based training on CD; real time discussions, seminars, and presentations; e-mentoring; and web-based discussion forums.

In a unique twist, Globarena also uses the students’ performance in the program to recruit them for jobs with companies contracting for its services. The computer software used to teach the lessons also monitors the student’s progress, giving potential employers a better idea of which candidates have the best skills for specific jobs. This recruitment program, called Globarena Jobz, has a portfolio of 8,000 positions with companies in software development, pharmaceuticals, bio-technology, market research, financial services, and other fields.

“We are extremely excited about working with UW and being able to give deserving students in India world-class programs at an affordable cost,” said Dr. Sudha Iyer, Director, Content at Globarena. “Our goal is to take this model to other countries, like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where the situation is similar to that in India and students need courses that make them job ready”.

The University of Washington has one of the largest English Language programs in the US, offering onsite and online programs tailored for academic, business and science purposes. For more information about UW programs, visit:

http://depts.washington.edu/uwelp/index.shtml

For more information about the Certificate in Professional Communication, visit:http://depts.washington.edu/uwelp/cpc/index.shtml

Globarena is an education company headed by US-returned academicians with PhDs and years of work experience in the US. For information about Globarena, visit www.globarena.com

For media inquiries, contact:

Anita Sökmen

Coordinator for the Certificate in Professional Communication (CPC)

206-685-6464, anitasok@u.washington.edu