PRIA Continuing Education (PCE) established in 2005, is recognised as the academic wing of PRIA. Over the last 27 years, PRIA has collected an extensive body of knowledge in the form of research, studies, training programmes reports, reviews, evaluations, case studies as well as documentation and published books on a range of development themes. This rich collection of materials when combined with the voluminous range of books, periodicals and mimeographs from the PRIA library has created an invaluable warehouse of theoretical knowledge and field experiences. Classified under an elaborate "Knowledge Management System" it has become the backbone of the learning programmes developed by PRIA Continuing Education.

Therefore, at PCE our courses not only contain the best of theoretical knowledge but are also enriched with the experiences and voices of individuals, groups and organisations across the world, who have worked extensively on these themes. This unique knowledge base is interwoven into techniques of Open and Distant Learning, catering to the specific needs of learners who are not in a conventional classroom situation. The material designed for Distance Learning:

For example, our course on "Understanding Gender in Society" takes you through a journey from the beginning of the Women's Movement and brings you into the current scenario where gender and not women is the focus of equality and empowerment. Theoretical frameworks and varied schools of thought are presented in a simple and clear form. Social issues and their ramifications are put forth in a logical sequence supported by statistical data. However, the most important aspect of the course is the process that the learner is taken through - a deep personal examination of their own values, beliefs and attitudes; their fears, misconceptions and myths on a range of issues that confront them in their daily lives.

The Bulletin Board provides a forum for intense and serious dialogue and sharing of experiences on these issues amongst the learners, with observations and clarifications from renowned resource persons. Sexual harassment and violence against women; sex determination, female foeticide and the resultant skewed sex ratio; discriminatory rituals and customs including female genital mutilation are all discussed in a frank and open manner encouraging learners not only to present their own views but to listen and learn from the views of their fellow learners. This course has resulted in many learners reviewing and changing their personal opinion on issues that had not even questioned previously.

Similarly our course on Occupational Health and Safety takes you through the history of worker's safety in industries, formal and informal workplaces; provides you with technical inputs on diseases and hazards related to specific occupations; shares with you worker's experiences in not only understanding and diagnosing their diseases but the process of collectivisation to demand for better and safer work places; the specific issues of women in the industry are highlighted. Voices of workers speak out clearly through well- documented case studies, revealing their plight, struggle and also their victory in securing their right to a safer work space. An additional section on legal frameworks and the laws relating to occupational health and safety give a holistic understanding on this particular  theme.

At PCE our dedicated team of professionals conceptualise, ideate and create materials to capture and retain the interest of the learner. Course instructors are often the very people who have written the course and are therefore familiar with the learning process that the learner is going through. "Think Tank", "Note Pad" are some of the spaces designed for the learner to reflect on, analyse and process the information that is being received.

Though both learner and instructor are virtual characters in this learning process, there is a strong bond between the two. The instructor understands that the learning curve can be very demanding and hence plays more than just a tutorial role. She is constantly in touch with the learner planning, motivating, clarifying difficult concepts, persuading, monitoring and providing support wherever needed. Be it the difficulties that learners are facing in translating concepts into their professional spheres or personal factors that hinder their progress, they are all discussed and the best solutions reached.

At PCE we believe that learning is a lifelong process and continuing education is a component of the larger educational process, which demands innovations in materials and technologies to meet changing needs; it helps develop new attitudes and dispositions towards learning; most importantly it paves the way for a new generation of learners who seek newer horizons and enables them to gain knowledge in their own as well as related fields and provide a holistic understanding of a specific theme or issue.