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SCOP 2012, entitled Open and Distance Education (ODE): Barriers, Opportunities & Strategies Forward, will focus on challenges
and strategies for the implementation of open, distance and flexible learning.
SCOP 2012 will explore the opportunities inherent in ODE to help countries overcome socio-economic challenges, and will provide insights into successful strategies for advocacy. These include international bench-marking and promotion for best practice, issues which are at the core of ICDE’s role as a facilitator for quality enhancement and cooperative action.
The annual ICDE SCOP meeting is a unique opportunity for the leadership of higher education institutions engaged in open, distance and flexible learning to meet with peers from around the world in a confidential, in-camera setting. This is the first SCOP meeting to be held in the Arab World, and opportunities are expected to meet representatives of many institutions from the region. SCOP is highly regarded as an arena where senior management in higher education may share information and expertise, establish benchmarks, develop inter-institutional cooperation, and determine policy advocacy directions.
Programme structure
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A reception will be held on the evening of Monday 12 November, and the formal programme begins the following day with two keynote presentations, followed by working group sessions based around the issue of open and distance education (ODE) as an alternative and a complement to residential education. Wednesday 14 November will begin with a third keynote presentation and a panel debate on the theme of strategies for creating a better understanding of ODE. This will be followed by a Policy Forum which will look at strategies for meeting a changing, more open and online world and will provide opportunities for consultation on ICDE's strategic plan for 2013-2016. The SCOP meeting will conclude on Thursday 15 November with a closed session meeting for presidents of ICDE member institutions, and working groups for other delegates on social media and the regulatory framework for ODE.
The social programme will include a tour of Dubai's historical monuments, a formal dinner on the evening of 14 November, and a desert safari after the close of the meeting.
Registration
Online registration is available on the conference website. ICDE members are eligible for a discount on the registration fee. Details of how to obtain this can be requested from the ICDE Secretariat: icde@icde.org.
3 October 2012