Microfinance Course

The fourth delivery of the Blended Distance Learning Course on Microfinance got off to a good start on 16 August in Tokyo. With three billion low-income people worldwide excluded from formal financial services, the importance of the course is underscored by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Dr. Mohammed Yunus and the Grameen Bank in recognition of the contribution of microfinance to world peace and stability.

Of the over 900 participants in the fourth course, about 250 participated through videoconference in 12 countries while the remaining participants in over 40 countries watched the session through Internet webcasting. The participants include 245 from ASEAN, 123 from Northeast Asia (or non- ASEAN East Asia), 203 from Central and South Asia, 38 from the Pacific, and 71 from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and other locations.

The four-month course is jointly organized by ADBI and the World Bank’s Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC). Using four information and communication technologies—self-paced e-learning CD-ROMs, videoconference with international experts, on-line tutoring, and an ediscussion forum—the course delivers high-quality training to participants in Asia and beyond. In addition to courseware in English, local-language materials are made available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, Khmer, and Bahasa Indonesia. By removing the language barrier, the course effectively reaches out to those working directly with the poor.

A large number of the participants are policymakers and staff of projects funded by donor organizations including ADB, International Fund for Agriculture Development, and the World Bank. Thus, the course has immediate policy impacts as well as contributing to improved implementation of microfinance projects.

“A few years ago, the idea of a course like this would have been nothing more than a dream in someone’s fertile imagination,” noted ADBI Director for Research Mario Lamberte in his opening remarks. That dream has evolved into one of the most successful distance learning courses, connecting practitioners from Asia to Africa to create a truly global microfinance learning community. To date, the past three deliveries have certified 91 microfinance trainers, and over 1,100 microfinance practitioners have studied in the course.

“It is our sincere hope,” said Lamberte, “that you will do your best to master the course materials and thus empower yourselves to become the seeds of growth for microfinance in your corner of the world.”

View course information.

A large number of the microfinance course participants are policymakers and staff of projects funded by donor organizations.