The 23rd World ICDE Conference

The 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open: Learning and Distance Education "Flexible Education for All - Open -Global - Innovative", Maastricht, The Netherlands, 7-10 June 2009

Conference Scope:

Today’s society has undergone major developments: knowledge has become the major capital and creative force; people’s lives are less and less constrained by geographic proximity; traditions and institutional regulations have eroded and people can make choices in all spheres of life.

In this set of a global, individualized knowledge society, education is a key factor. It is the fundament for equal and sensible participation of individuals in society as well as a source for the well-being of society itself. But in fulfilling this role the education system has to face major challenges. Education needs to be

* globally accessible;
* open for people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities and ages;
* innovative regarding content as well as teaching and learning methods.

The ICDE 23rd World conference will experience a real global dynamic interaction. The ICDE is excited to hold this conference in partnership with the 2009 Annual EADTU conference to ensure that their members and partners gain truly international insight in a number of very complex areas. ICDE, as the principal organiser of the World Conferences on Open Learning and Distance Education, has always cooperated with major regional educational associations to ensure that their members’ considerable knowledge is shared with their colleagues globally.

Invitation:

We cordially invite executives, rectors, deans, programme managers, educational policy makers, teachers, researchers, developers, experts, students and staff from the public sector as well as from private educational institutions and companies interested in the field of flexible, open and distance education and training to attend this conference. The topics to be discussed partly depend on the participants input. Please see the attached scheme for suggestions.

The topics of the thematic strands will be presented and discussed in plenary sessions with renowned keynote speakers and in parallel sessions with reviewed contributions from all over the world. A Call for Papers and Presentations will be launched in spring 2008.
Furthermore, pre-conference and side events as well as regional meetings will be part of the programme, organised by interest groups, projects, sponsors, regional associations and consortia.

Conference Programme Committee:

1. Dr. Fred Mulder, Rector of the Open Universiteit Nederland (Chair)
2. Dr. Frits Pannekoek, President of ICDE and President of Athabasca University (Vice Chair)
3. Piet Henderikx, Secretary General of EADTU (Vice Chair)

Representatives from the leading open learning and distance teaching systems and institutions around the world have been invited to join the Programme Committee of the conference.

Venue:

The conference venue is the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC). It is located in the oldest city of the Netherlands, Maastricht. This beautiful city is situated in the heart of Europe on both sides of the Meuse River in the southern part of the country. Maastricht is a medium sized city with all the necessary infrastructure, good public transport connections, and a wide range of hotels, cultural and social activities to host the World Conference community in a stimulating and safe environment.

Social events:

The social events and partner programme will be offered in collaboration with several local organisations. The options will be published on the conference website shortly.

The conference dinner will be offered at a very special location with only a limited number of seats. Information on this location is already available on the conference website.
Booking for social events and conference dinner can be combined with registration, once the registration has started.

Welcome to Maastricht, and welcome to the 23rd ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education including the 2009 EADTU Annual Conference.

Conference website: www.ou.nl/ICDE2009

Contact:
23rd ICDE World Conference secretariat (M-2009)
Open Universiteit Nederland
PO Box 2960
6401 DL Heerlen
The Netherlands
E-mail: ICDE2009@ou.nl

* Please provide your contact details (e-mail address, postal address) for continuously receiving updated information on the M-2009 Conference by sending an e-mail to the M-2009 Secretariat or by completing the form on the M-2009 website.
* You might also visit our website for viewing up-to-date information.
 
For the conference theme: Flexible Education for All: Open – Global – Innovative we are requesting*:

Your individual or institutional presentation on:

1. Your Experience
2. Your Activity
3. Your Vision

Covering one or more areas of education and training

* Lifelong Learning (LLL)
* Continuing Professional Training & Development
* Higher Education
* Company & Workforce Training
* School
* Vocational Training

Regarding one or more of the following themes

* Open Educational Resources (OER)
* Quality Assurance (including Recognition; Accreditation; Certification)
* Virtual Mobility
* Learning Support Services
* Cultural Diversity
* Breaking Barriers / Removing Constraints & Disadvantages
* Employability
* Technology Enhanced Learning

Or one or more of the following approaches

1. Strategy and Vision
2. Policy
3. Research & Development
4. Good Practice
5. Evaluation
6. Partnership & Networking

*The call for papers will be launched in the spring of 2008.

For Details:

http://www.icde.org/oslo/icde.nsf/id/B28110216E7C30D1C125736F00383C22?OpenDocument