SADE webinar ICDE ON Boldic

The webinar will discuss the work forward for ICDE ON Boldic in particular but also in cooperation with the other ICDE ONs. In recognition of the importance of strengthening cooperation and reinforcing the impact of activities of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and its network of members globally, ICDE have launched a regional Operational Network.

The ICDE Operational Network has been launched in partnership with the African Virtual University, Kenya, The Swedish Association for Distance Education, Sweden, The International University UNINETTUNO, Italy and Universitas Terebuka, Indonesia. The launch of the regional Operational Network will come into effect from January 2016. Its launch was announced by outgoing ICDE President, Tian Belawati, President of Universitas Terebuka, Indonesia, at the 26TH ICDE World Conference that was hosted by UNISA in Sun City, South Africa on the 16 October 2015. Over 900 delegates from over 67 countries were in attendance during the event.

The purpose of the ICDE Operational Network is to strengthen ICDE as membership driven organization and offer a regional localised support structure. In addition, it will strengthen the visibility and representation of ICDE around the world and increase ICDE’s operational capacity, global insight and it will support global knowledge exchange. Gard Titlestad, ICDE Secretary General said “We are very much looking forward to working in partnership with the regional ICDE Operational Networks. It enables ICDE to offer a more localised, personalised on the ground, support network system and offer its members regional tailored events and resources, something that is very much needed”. For the regional partners, the benefits of being an ICDE Operational Network is extensive. It enables them increased regional and global visibility, access to ICDEs’ extensive global network and insight into the daily operations of ICDE, the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning.

The Operational Networks are known as:

ICDE Operational Network Mediterranean and Southern Europe
ICDE Operational Network Boldic
ICDE Operational Network Asia Pacific
ICDE Operational Network Africa
Outgoing ICDE President, Tian Belawati said “I leave my capacity as ICDE President with confidence that the ICDE Network will cater to the needs of members and grow, galvanise and invigorate online and distance education regionally.

About ICDE: The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) is the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning, and draws its membership from institutions, educational authorities, commercial actors, and individuals. ICDE has consultative partner status with UNESCO and shares UNESCO’s key value – the universal right to education for all. ICDE further derives its position from the unique knowledge and experience of its members throughout the world in the development and use of new methodologies and emerging technologies. ICDE was founded in 1938 in Canada as the International Council for Correspondence Education, and today has members from over 87 countries worldwide.

ICDE’s Permanent Secretariat is in Oslo, Norway, and has been hosted by this country on a permanent basis since 1988. ICDE is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and by membership fees.

About African Virtual University, Kenya,(AVU):The African Virtual University (AVU) is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.

Eighteen (18) African Governments – Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, South Sudan, Sudan, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Nigeria have signed the Charter establishing the AVU as an Intergovernmental Organization.

The AVU has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal. The AVU has Host Country Agreements with the governments of Kenya and Senegal and the AVU has diplomatic status in these countries.

The AVU was initially launched in Washington in 1997 as a World Bank project and was later transferred to Kenya in 2002. The AVU become an Intergovernmental organization in 2003.

For more information visit: http://www.avu.org/

About Swedish Association for Distance Education, Sweden, (SADE):Swedish National Organization for Distance Education (SADE) is a professional organization for all those involved in distance learning and flexible learning in Sweden. With SADE you will meet people from all over the world of education – from schools and universities, organizations and companies.

SADE was founded in 1984, and is designed to broaden the knowledge of and participate in the development of flexible education and distance learning.

For more information visit: http://www.sverd.se/swedish-association-for-distance-education/

About The International University UNINETTUNO, Italy:The International University, (UNINETTUNO), was founded by Ministerial Decree of the Italian Republic in 2005. UNINETTUNO is a distance teaching university based on close cooperation with traditional universities from Europe, the Arab World, the United States and Asia – at UNINETTUNO, our student-base is truly global.

These alliances with higher-education institutions from across the world allow UNINETTUNO to supply a wider and more diverse educational offering, based on a scientific psychopedagogical model built on 20 years of research. Thanks to the use of new technologies and a faculty of prestigious professors from some of the world’s biggest universities, UNINETTUNO offers a unique university experience based on quality, flexibility and innovation.

This webianr will discuss the starts up of the ICDE ONs and its possibilities at regional levels
Dr Ebba Ossiannilsson, responsible for ICDE_ON_Boldic will facilitate the webinar.