Three US Fellows, Professors Rick Watson, Kevin Desouza, and Don McCubbrey are members of an international core team of the Global Text Project. The project has been underway since 2006, focused on developing free, open content, editorially-reviewed textbooks, available over the Internet, targeted at university students in developing economies.
Initially, the books will be available in Arabic, Chinese, English, and Spanish. They are designed to be modified to meet local needs and to be continually improved by the collective intelligence of the community of users. While the cost of textbooks is a cause for concern in high income countries, it is a serious barrier for students in developing economies trying to get the education they need to lift themselves and their countries out of poverty.
As of this writing, the project has published 13 books and another 12 are in various stages of production. Academics from over 50 universities worldwide as well as practitioners have contributed their time to the work. Global Text is also a portal for existing books and other educational resources that have been contributed and are freely available. An article on the project appeared in the Times (UK) Higher Education Magazine on 28 May.
The RSA network worldwide can be a powerful force in helping us acquire new content and in making others aware of the project and its goals. Please leave a comment here or get in touch with Don McCubbrey at dmccubbr@du.edu if you can join us in this effort.
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My son was the President of AIESEC at Leeds University last year. He graduated in the summer and is now heading up a team from the UK establishing AIESEC in Cambodia. He visits all the universities and addresses the students who he has found to be extremely focussed and ambitious. I forwarded to him in Phnom Penh the information about your work and he asks whether it would be feasible for you to consider adding Khmer language to your portfolio.
Here is the link to the newly established Cambodian branch of AIESEC: http://www.aieseccambodia.com/
This is a simply wonderful project. Congratulations to all those involved.
Hi Dina
I would like to contact your son, or he can contact me. We are certainly interested in exploring this opportunity.
rwatson@terry.uga.edu
Cheers
Rick