Programme

Invited and Keynote Speakers

Abdul Waheed KHAN
UNESCO

As Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Abdul Waheed Khan has lead UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector since 2001. In this capacity, Dr. Khan is responsible for advancing global standard setting, establishing international, regional and national policies, and coordinating the implementation of concrete projects for harnessing the power of communication and information for development. Details

Fredric M. LITTO
University of Sao Paulo

Fredric Michael Litto, Retired Professor of Communications of the University of Sao Paulo from 1971 to 2003, was the Founder and Scientific Coordinator of the University's research laboratory "The School of the Future," [www.futuro.usp.br] from 1989 to 2006. Details

Sir John DANIEL
COL

Sir John Daniel spent 17 years as a university president in Canada (Laurentian University) and the UK (Open University) before joining UNESCO as Assistant Director-General for Education in 2001 and becoming President of the Commonwealth of Learning in 2004. Details

Otto BENAVIDES
President ICEM

António Teixeira
Universidade Aberta

Previously, he was Pro-rector for innovation in Distance Learning at Universidade Aberta. In that capacity, conceived the strategy and managed the university’s transition process from a print-based distance learning institution to a fully online learning one. Details

Piet Kommers
University of Twente

His actual interest is virtual reality and visual communication. His Master study in 1980 formulated algorithms for adaptive learning. In his PhD study he questioned how conceptual representations may support the cognitive integration in learning. He was Scientific Director of NATO Advanced Research Workshop: "Cognitive Technologies" in 1989. Details

David S. METCALF
University of Central Florida

Director of the Mixed Emerging Technology Integration Lab (METIL) at the Institute for Simulation & Training, and the CEO of Moving Knowledge, a university spinoff company would help people understand the connection. Details

Emeritus Anuwar Ali
Open University Malaysia

Professor Emeritus Anuwar Ali, currently the President/Vice Chancellor of Open University Malaysia (OUM), has been holding the post since January 2004. OUM, the first open and distance learning institution in the country, was established in 2000 as a private university under Multimedia Technology Enhancement Operations Sdn. Bhd. Details

George SIEMENS
Athabasca University

Ingeborg BO
EDEN Senior Fellow

Ingeborg BO is member of the Board of Directors of European Foundation for Quality in E-learning (EFQUEL, www.efquel.org). She was from 2003 to 2007 President of the European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN, www.eden-online.org) which is the most comprehensive European association in open, flexible, distance education and e-learning. Details

Martine VIDAL
CNED

Education and multimedia technology have been at the core of Martine Vidal's activities, from language teaching in French lycees to teacher training, to responsibilities at the general direction of the French Centre for Distance Education (Cned), where she has had several responsibilities as director of innovation and advisor to Cned's rector, as "chargee de mission" for research. Details

Mikhail Karpenko
President of the Modern University for Humanities

He is General Member of Academy of the Humanities, International Academy for Informatization, is member of the CIS Interstate Committee for Education Advancement and Adults Education, Expert Advisory Body under the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Council Federation. Details

Santosh PANDA
University of South Pacific

He has been consultant/advisor to PREST research in DE modules of COL; UNESCO's Open and Distance Learning Initiative for Higher Education Knowledge Base (ODLKB); and capacity building for open schools in Bangladesh, and Trinidad & Tobago. Details

Terry ANDERSON
Athabasca University

Terry Anderson is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Distance Education at Athabasca University - Canada’s Open University. He has published widely in the area of distance education and educational technology and has co-authored or edited six books and numerous papers. Details

Timothy K. SHIH
Asia University

Dr. Shih is a Professor and the Dean of College of Computer Science, Asia University, Taiwan. He was a Department Chair of the CSIE Department at Tamkang University, Taiwan. Dr. Shih is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). In addition, he is a senior member of ACM and a senior member of IEEE. Details