Winner of the ICDE Prize of Excellence 2023 for Individuals: Dr. Kam-Cheong Li

The ICDE Prize of Excellence Individual Prize rewards dedication and impact within open and distance education, as well as within the international community. It recognises individuals who have shown great leadership and excellence at national, regional or global levels in the last five years.

Dr. Kam-Cheong Li, known to many as KC, has been a dedicated advocate and valued contributor to the OFDL field for over three decades. His career spans a broad variety of roles including Tutor, Course Coordinator, Course Developer/Writer, Degree Programme Leader, and Tutor Trainer. He has also developed and managed a wide range of qualification programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels for distance learning.

Dr. Kam-Cheong Li has played a key role in numerous projects and initiatives aimed at advancing open education regionally and globally  through his own institution, the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU), and through ICDE, always fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. His achievements include founding the Institute for Research in Open and Innovative Education at Hong Kong Metropolitan University to promote open education and conduct research in the field. 

Dr. Kam-Cheong Li has also served as Editor-in-Chief of the official academic journal of the AAOU for almost 10 years since 2014 and has led the journal to become Quartile 1 Scopus-indexed. His courage to innovate in the field was also seen in his key role in the creation and development of the Asian MOOCs which serves as the platform for sharing of expertise among Open Universities in Asia to make available inclusive and accessible learning opportunities to various types of learners.

The Individual Prize of Excellence, awarded for significant contributions to the international community of OFDL, is well deserved.