This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scottish education passes Delhi milestone
08/11/2005
Heriot-Watt University's SCHOLAR system, the world's largest e-learning education programme, has just passed the 2,000 user mark in New Delhi.
After meeting many of the 700 pupils (16-18 years old) using the programme at the Delhi Public School in the Indian capital, Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen said:
"The development of India, in business and in education, is growing at a remarkable pace. The enthusiasm for high-quality, practical and relevant education is clear to see.
"India has one of the largest education systems in the world, and the potential for Scotland to strengthen its links with the country is immense.
"The time is right to act now, and in the SCHOLAR programme and the Interactive University, we have world-leading Scottish products which are establishing themselves in India as cutting-edge resources which help export Scotland's skills, knowledge and creativity to a highly receptive market.
"I am delighted to hear that more than 2,000 pupils and teachers are now using SCHOLAR in Delhi, and I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and knowledge displayed by the pupils I met at Delhi Public School this morning.
"Collaboration in education, be it in Scottish systems being used in India or the 2,000 Indian students now attending Scottish universities and colleges, is vital in helping Scotland to forge valuable long-term trade, political and cultural links overseas."
SCHOLAR offers high quality, interactive, online learning resources at 'Higher' level to help support students learning within a teacher supported environment. SCHOLAR subjects offered in India are maths, chemistry, physics and biology.
SCHOLAR is delivered through the Interactive University (IU) which was established in 2002 as a joint initiative between Heriot-Watt University and Scottish Enterprise. It provides an interactive bridge between leading Scottish universities and students across the globe who wish to study for an internationally-recognised qualification without leaving their home country.
IU now has contracts to work with partners in more than 20 countries around the world.