He succeeds Dr. Denise Kirkpatrick who has left the Open University, UK for a new position as Pro Vice-Chancellor of Student Experience at the University of Adelaide.

Alan is Professor of Distance Education and Development at the Open University, UK and has published extensively in the field of open and distance learning, in particular in learner support. He is at present the Chief Editor of the European Journal of Open and Distance Learning (EURODL) and was Chair of the European Distance and Elearning Network (EDEN) NAP Steering Committee 2002-5. He was EDEN's President from 2007-2010.

He has worked widely in developing countries for international organisations such as UNESCO, the European Commission and the Commonwealth of Learning.  Recent most cited publications include ‘What are Open Universities for?’, in Open Learning, 2008, Vol 23:2,  pp 85-94, ‘Leadership Development for Distance and E Learning’, 2007, in the International Handbook of Distance Education, Eds. Evans T, Haughey M and Murphy D, pp 499-512, and ‘Planning Student Support for Open and Distance Learning’, in Open Learning, 2000, Vol 15, No 3, pp 287-299.

ICDE Executive Committee

3 October 2012