Brief Introduction:
Founded in 1991, the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) is the most influential non-profit organisation in the field of distance and e-learning education in Europe. The organisation exists to share knowledge and improve understanding among professionals in distance and e-learning, and promote policy and practice across Europe and beyond. EDEN holds an annual meeting every year to provide a platform for academic exchanges and discussions between distance open education professionals from all over the world.
Contacts with the OUC:
EDEN has been in touch with the OUC on many occasions. In 2006, the chairman and vice chairman of EDEN visited the OUC and its local RTVUs to learn about the new development of distance open education in China. By understanding the digital teaching environment and resource construction of open distance education, they all hope to promote case studies of China’s achievements in open distance education to more European institutions. They believe that it is necessary to strengthen cooperation between China and Europe in open distance education and promote the common development of distance education between the two sides.
In recent years, the OUC has sent representatives to participate in the EDEN annual meeting almost every year and has exchanged experiences with the EDEN secretariat and representatives from various countries. From 19 to 22 June 2011, CCRTVU sent a delegation to participate in the 2011 EDEN Annual Meeting and the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the founding of EDEN in Dublin. CCRTVU was the only delegation from China.
On 18 September 2017, a delegation of five people led by Li Ling, Party secretary of the OUC, visited the EDEN secretariat and met with Dr. Andras Szucs, secretary general of EDEN. Li Ling introduced the basic situation of the OUC, its history and development, and its achievements during transformation and construction. Guo Qingchun, director of the OUC Experimental School, Liu Zhanrong, director of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and Rehati, deputy director of the OUC Learning Resources Department (Library), gave reports on the OUC’s online and mobile learning, as well as its learning resources bank. EDEN personnel introduced the organisation’s background, mission, and responsibilities, as well as the related programmes it has organised in recent years. Li Ling hopes that the OUC and EDEN can establish academic exchange programmes, and that OUC faculty can join EDEN’s in joint academic activities. Dr. Szucs praised the OUC’s development and its contributions to the Chinese community, and welcomed the OUC to participate in EDEN’s academic programmes and activities in the areas of distance and online education.