Concept Note of
2021 Global MOOC and Online Education Conference
Co-hosted by Global MOOC Alliance and UNESCO IITE
Sub-forum 1 & 2: 6 December 2021
Sub-forum 3 & 4: 7 December 2021
Sub-forum 5 & 6: 8 December 2021
Sub-forum 7 (new): 9 December 2021
Main conference: 9 December 2021
1. Background
Education 2030, UN SDG 4, UNESCO Futures of Education initiative
Education is a key piece of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Despite the scope of these global commitments and the expected achievements, there is still an urgent need to look beyond this fast-approaching horizon. While the Education 2030 Incheon Declaration, and the Framework for Action (FFA) and UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, lay out a roadmap for the transformation of education systems and affirm a central commitment to inclusion and equity, we must still ask what education might yet become and what education might yet enable us to become.
Recognizing that knowledge and learning are humanity’s greatest renewable resources for responding to challenges and inventing alternative scenarios, UNESCO launched a Futures of Education Initiative in late 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Initiative uses the horizon of 2050 and beyond and aims to rethink, anticipate and shape the role of education, learning and knowledge in light of the tremendous challenges and opportunities of both nearer and more distant futures.
Such re-visioning of knowledge, education and learning is more relevant than ever. Recent years have seen phenomena such as accelerated technology transformations, the development of accreditation systems, increased access to education and knowledge and changing patterns of higher education funding. Challenges and opportunities external to higher education systems include demographic shifts, political change, economic crisis, war and conflict, and recently witnessed global pandemic.
Global MOOC Conference 2020
The Global MOOC Conference 2020 was held at Tsinghua University last year from December 9 to 11. Focussed on the topic “Learning Revolution and Higher Education Transformation”, this event was the first global conference featuring MOOC since its rise. This conference aimed to build a consensus on development, gather innovative forces, share practical experience and deliver technological prospects to promote the construction, development and sharing of MOOC and online education across the world.
“The golden opportunity is right before us so that we should join hands to face challenges, tap into potential opportunities, and create new journeys, striving to build universities with more openness, integration, and resilience,” said Qiu Yong, founding Board Chair of the Global MOOC Alliance and the President of Tsinghua University, during his opening speech. Chen Baosheng, China’s Minister of Education, Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, and Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor to the Secretary-General, delivered keynote speeches during the conference. The Chief of the UNESCO IITE Digital Pedagogy and Learning Materials Unit, Founder and CEO of edX, the Rector of St.Petersburg University, President of the University of Chile, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, and Director General of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education (MOE) of People’s Republic of China delivered addresses to over 8,000,000 representatives and guests from more than 2,000 international organizations, government agencies, universities and online education platforms which attended the conference offline and virtually.
Beijing Declaration on MOOC Development 2020
Prior to the Global MOOC Conference 2020, Tsinghua University and UNESCO IITE had extended invitations to globally renowned universities and MOOC platforms to discuss the future of MOOC and online education. Following extensive rounds of consultation, multiple parties reached a consensus and the Beijing Declaration on MOOC Development was unanimously endorsed at the Global MOOC Conference 2020.
The declaration outlined the four major points reflecting the consensus reached by the participants of the Global MOOC Conference regarding the role of MOOC and online education: to keep learning undisrupted, to transform the educational model, to turn crisis into opportunities and to find social solidarity through education. It also emphasized that the transformation of global higher education through MOOC and online education should uphold the characteristics of equity, quality, innovation and service.
2. Aim
It is in this context that the Global MOOC Alliance and UNESCO IITE will co-organize the Main Meeting of the Global MOOC and Online Education Conference 2021 on December 9 under the theme “Together for a Shared Future — Leading Higher Education Innovation in the New Digital Era”. The Conference will follow up on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration of MOOC Development (2020), which recommended UN organizations, international and regional organizations, governments, universities and online education institutions around the world to deepen international exchanges and cooperation, accelerate the building up of infrastructure for communication, promote the openness and sharing of MOOC and online education resources, and jointly promote the setting of international technical and curriculum standards for MOOC and online education, joining hands to build, develop and promote MOOC and online education to better serve society.
Devoted to the theme “Together for a Shared Future — Leading Higher Education Innovation in the New Digital Era”, the Conference will share policies and practices in driving the innovation required in the new global digital era for the higher education sector, as well as to examine collaborative ideas and frameworks to build more open, integrative and resilient universities.
Subthemes
The Conference will be structured under the following subthemes (tentative):
- Building Future-Ready Higher Education through Equitable and Quality Online and Blended Teaching and Learning— Focus on the digital transformation and the challenge of the lack of higher education professionals with adequate digital literacy and relevant professional development resources in developing countries. This will be led and co-chaired by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech).
- Technology-Enhanced Collaborative and Blended Learning —Contribute to enhancing the quality of higher education through the use of digital technologies and educational resources. This track will be led and co-chaired by the University of Macau.
- Educating Future Scientists & Engineers track is intended to anticipate effective models of inspiring a new generation of science and engineering graduates to champion innovation and entrepreneurship through cross-border and bottom-up collaboration, knowledge, experience and resources sharing, and valuable connections. This track will be led and co-chaired by RWTH Aachen, Politecnico di Milano, and UNESCO ICEE.
- Virtual Mobility and Cocurricular Programming track is aimed to share the potential of digital technologies in providing students with an exclusive opportunity to connect with peers worldwide to acquire new knowledge and skills, exchange ideas and cultures, and develop connections vital for success in the 21st century. This will be led and co-chaired by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).
- MOOC and Online Learning in Future Education track will be focused on discussing the future transformations of MOOC and online education needed to shape the new normal of higher education in the post-pandemic era. This will be led and co-chaired by UNESCO IITE, XuetangX, CRI and ThaiMOOC.
- Designing and Delivering the Most Career-relevant Online Programs track will investigate the path to a successful learning experience to connect the classroom with the “real-world”, build confidence, open doors, inspire, empower and instill a lifelong passion for learning among individuals and communities, and beyond. This will be led and co-chaired by Keypath Education (https://keypathedu.com/).
- Metaverse and Immersive Technology in Teaching and Learning track will explore how “metaverse” and immersive technologies can provide high-quality and interactive content using virtual and augmented reality solutions to teaching and learning. This will be led and co-chaired by Tsinghua University and XuetangX.
3. Expected Outcomes
The following may be outcomes of these efforts:
- Gathering input of vision and strategies (including frameworks, principles, important questions, etc.) for higher education innovation and collaboration in the digital era.
- Pitching of the vision and strategies to international organizations and alliances (UNESCO, UNESCO IITE, UNESCO ICHEI, UNESCO ICEE, Global MOOC Alliance, Asian Universities Alliance, Reach Alliance, IDEA League, ASPIRE League, Global STEM Alliance, APRU, etc.) and to national authorities (ministries of education).
- Publication of the vision and strategies in reports, books and academic journals — the discussion during the conference will be summarized into a final document encompassing the key issues concerned with the development of MOOC and online education. The discussion results will be disseminated at international seminars/events.
- Formulating joint research proposals and educational initiatives that require international collaboration and resource mobilization.
4. Target Audience
The audience for this Conference will be instructors, researchers, experts, policy makers and practitioners in the field of MOOC and online education from around the world.
5. Co-host — and their experience in MOOC & online education
Global MOOC Alliance (GMA)
In response to global educational challenges and opportunities emerging in the age of internet and virtual interconnectivity, world-leading universities and platforms leverage an extremely important role. Founded in 2020, GMA aims:
- to bring together representatives of a diverse community from across all geographical regions, including world-leading universities and platforms, , committed to promote the development of high-quality MOOC and online education;
- to foster international bilateral and multilateral cooperation on educational technology and innovation;
- to lead by example and contribute towards the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 — “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
GMA will serve as a mechanism for exchange and cooperation, providing leadership of global higher education to address online education challenges and to implement practical policies in members’ respective communities and around the world.
GMA is co-founded by 20 universities and online education platforms from 14 countries across six continents. The co-founding members include Cornell University, Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI), edX, Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, Polytechnic University of Milan, Rice University, RWTH Aachen University, St.Petersburg State University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Thai MOOC platform, Tsinghua University, The University of Auckland, University of Chile, The University of Manchester, University of Nairobi, University of Toronto, XuetangX and Zhejiang University.
UNESCO IITE (UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education)
Over the twenty years since its foundation, IITE has accumulated rich expertise and experience in promoting ICT in education, with strong support and guidance from UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO IITE Governing Board and the host country – Russian Federation. The mission of UNESCO IITE in the new era is promoting the innovative use of ICT and serving as facilitator and enabler for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) through ICT-enabled solutions and best practices.
In line with the new Education 2030 Agenda, UNESCO IITE has developed its strategic priority areas to meet new demands and tasks ahead. Bearing in mind that SDG 4 highlights inclusion and equity, quality of education and lifelong learning, UNESCO IITE focuses its activities on the following strategic priorities:
- Facilitating the innovative use of ICT to enhance inclusion and equity in education and lifelong learning;
- Empowering teachers in Member States to improve the quality of education by promoting ICT-enabled pedagogies and best practices;
- Fostering the potential of ICT for education transformation through global dialogue and networking.
In promoting digital pedagogy, UNESCO IITE works with policy-makers, civil society and various other stakeholders, drawing on its own research and existing research evidence, focusing on how pedagogical and technological innovations can enhance learning. UNESCO IITE exerts efforts to facilitate the transfer of innovation research into educational practice and support effective learning through ICT-enabled pedagogy. The Institute promotes innovative approaches, methodology, tools and techniques of integrating ICT and pedagogy into different levels and sectors of education, in particular higher education and TVET.
6. Venue
Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
The Main Meeting and Sub-Forums of the Global MOOC and Online Education Conference 2021 will also be broadcast live through xuetangX
(in English: https://www.xuetangx.com/live/live20211201m001/live20211201m001/10117562;
in Chinese: https://www.xuetangx.com/live/live20211201M01/live20211201M01/10117583)
and selected online platforms for virtual delegates.
7. Language
English will be the working language of the meeting, interpretation services may be provided when needed.
8. Provisional Agenda
Representatives of international organizations, MOOC platforms and universities will be invited to deliver presentations and remarks on MOOC development and online education during the Global MOOC and Online Education Conference 2021. And this year, Global MOOC Alliance and UNESCO IITE have chosen to partner with a number of world-leading organizations in hosting the sub-forums (“co-chairs”), including UNESCO ICHEI, Southern University of Science and Technology, University of Macau, IDEA League, UNESCO ICEE, APRU, CRI, ThaiMOOC, Tsinghua University, XuetangX, and Keypath Education.
| Co-host/ Co-chair | Date | Paris time (GMT+1) | Moscow time (GMT+3) | Beijing time (GMT+8) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-forum 1: “Building Future-Ready Higher Education through Equitable and Quality Online and Blended Teaching and Learning” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | UNESCO-ICHEI, SUSTech | Dec 6th | 11:00-13:00 | 13:00-15:00 | 18:00-20:00 |
| Sub-forum 2: “Technology-Enhanced Collaborative and Blended Learning” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | University of Macau | Dec 6th | 12:00-14:00 | 14:00-16:00 | 19:00-21:00 |
| Sub-forum 3: “Educating Future Scientists & Engineers” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | Politecnico di Milano, RWTH Aachen, UNESCO ICEE | Dec 7th | 09:00-11:00 | 11:00-13:00 | 16:00-18:00 |
| Sub-forum 4: “Virtual Mobility and Cocurricular Programming” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | APRU | Dec 7th | 12:00-14:00 | 14:00-16:00 | 19:00-21:00 |
| Sub-forum 5: “MOOC and Online Learning in Future Education” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | UNESCO IITE, CRI, ThaiMOOC, XuetangX | Dec 8th | 09:00-11:00 | 11:00-13:00 | 16:00-18:00 |
| Sub-forum 6: “Designing and Delivering the Most Career-relevant Online Programs” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | Keypath Education | Dec 8th | 13:00-15:00 | 15:00-17:00 | 20:00-22:00 |
| Sub-forum 7: “Metaverse and Immersive Technology in Teaching and Learning” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | Tsinghua University, XuetangX | Dec 9th | 01:30-03:00 | 03:30-05:00 | 08:30-10:00 |
| Main Meeting: “Together for a Shared Future — Leading Higher Education Innovation in the New Digital Era” (Watch it live in English and in Chinese!) | Global MOOC Alliance, UNESCO IITE | Dec 9th | 12:00-14:00 | 14:00-16:00 | 19:00-21:00 |
Main Meeting: “Together for a Shared Future — Leading Higher Education Innovation in the New Digital Era”
(Watch main meeting live in English and in Chinese!)
The main meeting is led and co-hosted by the Global MOOC Alliance and UNESCO IITE.
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 9, 2021, 12:00-14:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 9, 2021, 14:00-16:00
- Beijing time (GMT+8): December 9, 2021, 19:00-21:00
| 9 December 2021 | Main Meeting. |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Welcoming remarks by co-host • QIU Yong. Founding Board Chair of the Global MOOC Alliance and President of Tsinghua University |
| 35 minutes | Opening keynotes (4) – 8 minutes each (from university administrators and governmental organizations) • WU Yan. Director (Higher Education Department), Ministry of Education, P. R. China • Ochirbat Baatar. President of Mongolian University of Science and Technology • K. P. Dzvimbo. CEO of Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE); Gilford Hapanyengwi. ICT Director of ZIMCHE. • Paul Krause. Vice Provost of Cornell University and Executive Director of eCornell |
| 50 minutes | Sub-forum summary presentations by co-chairs (6) – 8 minutes each (Reference to Subthemes under 2. Aim) • Sub-forum 1: LI Ming. Director, UNESCO-ICHEI • Sub-forum 2: Michael K. Hui. Vice-Rector, University of Macau • Sub-forum 3: Giuliano Noci. Vice-Rector, Politecnico di Milano • Sub-forum 4: Christopher Tremewan. Secretary-General, Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) • Sub-forum 5: Thapanee Thammetar. Director, ThaiMOOC • Sub-forum 6: Howell Williams. Chief Development Officer of Keypath Education (Australia & Asia-Pacific) • Sub-forum 7: YANG Bin. Vice President & Provost, Tsinghua University |
| 15 minutes | Closing keynotes (1) – 8 minutes each (from academia on research agenda for international higher education) • Simon Marginson. Professor of Higher Education at University of Oxford and Director of Centre for Global Higher Education • Atta-ur Rahman. Chairman PM’s National Task Force on Science and Technology; Academician Chinese Academy of Sciences; UNESCO Science Laureate |
| 10 minutes | Closing remarks by co-host • Tao Zhan. Director, UNESCO IITE |
Moderator: Enoch Wong. Assistant Secretary-General, Global MOOC Alliance.
Sub-forum 1: “Building Future-Ready Higher Education through Equitable and Quality Online and Blended Teaching and Learning”
(Watch sub-forum 1 live in English and in Chinese!)
The global higher education landscape is shifting rapidly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital transformation of higher education and the workplace, international mobility of students and scholars, climate change, among other factors. Higher education institutions (HEIs), especially in the global south, face many challenges in implementing inclusive and quality online and blended teaching and learning (OBTL), ensuring the relevance of existing curriculum and assessment, and building institutional capacity to manage these challenges of equity, quality, and efficiency. Given the external and internal challenges, capacity building will be vital to building future-ready higher education institutions and systems that are resilient to the rapid development of digital technologies and ready to take up the opportunities to leverage them for equitable and quality higher education.
The newly released UNESCO report, Reimagining Our Futures Together: A new social contract for education, emphasizes the foundational principles of assuring the right to quality education throughout life and strengthening education as a public endeavor and a common good as we move to 2050 and beyond to continue empowering future generations to reimagine their futures and their worlds. More specifically, the report highlights the crucial role of HEIs in the Futures of Education, from supporting research and the advancement of science to becoming contributing and collaborative partners to other stakeholders around the globe. Concurrently, in releasing STEERING Tertiary Education: Toward Resilient Systems that Deliver for All, the World Bank Group also highlights the importance of tertiary education in building back better in a new era of green and equitable economic growth. In the proposed steering framework, one dimension explicitly addresses the importance of leveraging technology to improve teaching and research capacity while countering the impact of expanding digital divides. Another dimension on equity calls for actions to ensure equity and inclusion as driving methods for an effective and relevant tertiary education system.
As global stakeholders continue working towards equitable and quality global learning for all, the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) are hosting the sub-forum 1 of the 2021 Global MOOC and Online Education Conference, inviting global higher education leaders to share experiences and perspectives. The theme of the sub-forum will be Building Future-Ready Higher Education through Equitable and Quality Online and Blended Teaching and Learning. Representatives from the ministries of education, higher education institutions, international non-governmental organizations, and private enterprises are invited to engage in a series of keynote presentations, policy roundtable discussions, and case studies to shed light on each stakeholder’s roles in building future-ready higher education under the Conference theme Together for a Shared Future – Leading Higher Education Innovation in the New Digital Era.
Objectives:
By examining the global education discourse, international/national policies, and good practices of higher education institutions around the world, this forum will provide a platform for global higher education stakeholders to chart the way forward for harnessing the power of digital technology and implementing equitable and quality OBTL to build future-ready higher education.
Specific goals include:
- Explore the roles, policies, effectiveness, development trends, opportunities and challenges of implementing OBTL in improving equity and quality of higher education.
- Discuss successful practices and lessons learned from the implementation of OBTL.
- Discuss the roles and functions of related stakeholders.
- Respond to the latest global higher education discourse initiated by intergovernmental organizations, such as the Futures of Education initiative by UNESCO and the STEERing Framework proposed by the World Bank, discuss ways to operationalise related calls and recommendations.
- Document the discussions and responses of speakers and develop a consultation brief to be submitted to the UNESCO World Higher Education Conference.
Time:
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 6, 2021, 11:00-13:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 6, 2021, 13:00-15:00
- Beijing/Shenzhen time (GMT+8): December 6, 2021, 18:00-20:00
| 6 December 2021 | Sub-forum 1 |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Opening remarks • Qikun Xue. Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and President of Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). |
| 30 minutes | Keynote Presentations: Global Discourse on the Futures of Higher Education and the Role of Digital Technologies: Session Chair: UNESCO Representative ● Fernando Reimers. Ford Foundation Professor of Practice in International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Member of the International Commission on the Futures of Education, UNESCO ● Roberta Basset. Global Tertiary Education Lead, World Bank Group |
| 40 minutes | Policy Roundtable: Creating a Conducive Policy Environment for Building Future-Ready Higher Education driven by OBTL Session Chair: Libing Wang. Chief, Section for Educational Innovation and Skills Development (EISD), UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, Bangkok, Thailand ● Muhammad Raza Chohan. Director General of the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan ● Ulanbek Mambetakunov. Vice-President of the Academy of Education under the Ministry of Education and Science, Kyrgyzstan ● Succeed Mubanga. Director Planning and Information, Ministry of Technology and Science, Zambia ● Representative of Uganda |
| 30 minutes | Selected Case Presentations: Innovative and Contextualized Practices in implementing Equitable and Quality OBTL Session Chair: Lim Cher Ping. Chief Expert of IIOE, UNESCO-ICHEI; Chair Professor of Learning Technologies and Innovation, Education University of Hong Kong ● Fatima-Zohra Iflahen. Vice President of Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco ● Danaa Ganbat. Director of Open Education Centre, Mongolian University of Science and Technology ● Paul Kariuki. Director Information, Communication and Technology Centre, University of Nairobi, Kenya ● Mingyu Guan. Global Talent Alliance Partner Operation Director, Huawei |
| 5 minutes | Closing remarks • Jianhua Zhao. Associate Director, Centre for Higher Education Research, Southern University of Science and Technology |
Sub-forum 2: “Technology-Enhanced Collaborative and Blended Learning”
(Watch sub-forum 2 live in English and in Chinese!)
Contribute to enhancing the quality of higher education through the use of digital technologies and educational resources. This track will be led and co-chaired by the University of Macau.
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 6, 2021, 12:00-14:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 6, 2021, 14:00-16:00
- Beijing/Macau time (GMT+8): December 6, 2021, 19:00-21:00
| 6 December 2021 | Sub-forum 2 |
|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Opening remarks • Michael K. Hui. Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) of the University of Macau. |
| 20 minutes | Keynote speeches • Robert Vanderlan. Senior Associate Director, Center for Teaching Innovation, Cornell University • Rachel Gunderson. Instructional Designer, Center for Teaching Innovation, Cornell University |
| 30 minutes | Case studies (4 speakers, 6 minutes each maximum) • Xiaolei Zhang. Associate Professor, School of Education, Tianjin University • Shuang Li. Associate Professor, Ocean College, Zhejiang University • Irwin King. Director, Centre for eLearning Innovation and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • Nevia Dolcini. Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Macau Remarks • Chuang Wang. Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Macau |
| 55 minutes | Panel discussion • Xiaolei Zhang. Associate Professor, School of Education, Tianjin University • Shuang Li. Associate Professor, Ocean College, Zhejiang University • Irwin King. Director, Centre for eLearning Innovation and Technology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • Nevia Dolcini. Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Macau • Sophia Deng. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology; Academic Staff Advisor, CTLE, University of Macau Moderator • Chuang Wang. Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Macau |
| 10 minutes | Closing remarks • Chuang Wang. Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Macau • Katrine K. Wong. Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, University of Macau |
Sub-forum 3: “Educating Future Scientists & Engineers”
(Watch sub-forum 3 live in English and in Chinese!)
This sub-forum explores the effective models of inspiring a new generation of science and engineering graduates to champion innovation and entrepreneurship through cross-border and bottom-up collaboration, knowledge, experience and resources sharing, and valuable connections. This track will be led and co-chaired by Politecnico di Milano, RWTH Aachen, and UNESCO ICEE.
- Paris/ Milan/ Aachen time (GMT+1): December 7, 2021, 09:00-11:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 7, 2021, 11:00-13:00
- Beijing time (GMT+8): December 7, 2021, 16:00-18:00
| 7 December 2021 | Sub-forum 3 |
|---|---|
| Opening remarks • Giuliano Noci. Vice-Rector of Politecnico di Milano • Malte Brettel. Vice-Rector (Industry and Business Relations) of RWTH Aachen University | |
| Keynote speeches by UNESCO ICEE experts • Amal Kasry. Chief of Section for Capacity Building in Basic Science and Engineering (CB), Division of Science Policy and Capacity-Building (PCB), Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO HQ • Michael E. Auer. Former Vice-Rector and Professor of Electrical Engineering, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (Austria) | |
| Presentations and panel discussions with Deans of Engineering • Byoungho LEE. Dean, College of Engineering, Seoul National University • Stephen Foster. Dean of Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | |
| Closing remarks • Giuliano Noci. Vice-Rector of Politecnico di Milano |
Moderator: Enoch Wong. Assistant Secretary-General, Global MOOC Alliance.
Sub-forum 4: “Virtual Mobility and Cocurricular Programming”
(Watch sub-forum 4 live in English and in Chinese!)
This sub-forum aims to share the potential of digital technologies in providing students with an exclusive opportunity to connect with peers worldwide to acquire new knowledge and skills, exchange ideas and cultures, and develop connections vital for success in the 21st century. This will be led and co-chaired by the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 7, 2021, 12:00-14:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 7, 2021, 14:00-16:00
- Beijing/ Hong Kong time (GMT+8): December 7, 2021, 19:00-21:00
| 7 December 2021 | Sub-forum 4 |
|---|---|
| Opening remarks • Christopher Tremewan. Secretary-General of APRU (The Association of Pacific Rim Universities) and former Vice-President/Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) of the University of Auckland | |
| Keynote speeches • Alan Chan. Provost and J.S. Lee Professor of Chinese Culture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • Xuemin Xu. Vice President (Education and International Affairs), Shanghai Jiao Tong University • Eduardo Vera. Director of International Affairs, University of Chile | |
| Presentations/ Panel Discussions: Future of global mobility? Brainstorming principles of student virtual exchange • Shally Fan. Director of Academic Links, The Chinese University of Hong Kong • WANG Xiaoxiao. Director of Online Education Center, Tsinghua University • Voraprapa Nakavachara. Assistant to the President for Global Engagement, Chulalongkorn University • Seung Hyun Yang. Manager, International Mobility & Cooperation Team, Office of International Affairs, Korea University | |
| Closing remarks |
Moderator: Jackie Wong. Director of Network and Student Programs, APRU
Sub-forum 5: “MOOC and Online Learning in Future Education”
(Watch sub-forum 5 live in English and in Chinese!)
This sub-forum will be focused on discussing the future transformations of MOOC and online education needed to shape the new normal of higher education in the post-pandemic era. This will be led and co-chaired by UNESCO IITE, XuetangX, CRI, and ThaiMOOC.
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 8, 2021, 09:00-11:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 8, 2021, 11:00-13:00
- Bangkok time (GMT+7): December 8, 2021, 15:00-17:00
- Beijing time (GMT+8): December 8, 2021, 16:00-18:00
| 8 December 2021 | Sub-forum 5 |
|---|---|
| Opening Speech by Co-Chair Moderator: Dr. GUO Shuangshuang, Global MOOC Alliance • Tao Zhan. Director of UNESCO IITE • YANG Bin. Vice President and Provost, Tsinghua University; Convenor of Executive Committee, Global MOOC Alliance | |
| Keynote speeches Moderator: Dr. GUO Shuangshuang, Global MOOC Alliance • Natalia Dneprovskaya. Associate Professor of the Department of Business Informatics, National Research University – Higher School of Economics • Gaell Mainguy. Director, Development and International Relations, CRI • WANG Shuaiguo. President, XuetangX | |
| Presentations/ Panel Discussions: Future of global mobility? Brainstorming principles of student virtual exchange Moderator: Svetlana Knyazeva • Jingbo Huang. Director of United Nations University Institute of Macau • Vorasuang Duangchinda, Director of Office of Online Education, Sripatum University • LI Chuanyong. Director of the office of academic affairs, Nankai University • XU Yijie. Chief Content Officer, UMOOCs (moocs.unipus.cn) | |
| Closing remarks Moderator: Svetlana Knyazeva • Thapanee Thammetar. Director, ThaiMOOC |
Sub-forum 6: “Designing and Delivering the Most Career-relevant Online Programs”
(Watch sub-forum 6 live in English and in Chinese!)
This sub-forum will investigate the path to a successful learning experience to connect the classroom with the “real-world”, build confidence, open doors, inspire, empower and instill a lifelong passion for learning among individuals and communities, and beyond. This will be led and co-chaired by Keypath Education (https://keypathedu.com/).
- US Central time (GMT-6): December 8, 2021, 06:00-08:00
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 8, 2021, 13:00-15:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 8, 2021, 15:00-17:00
- Beijing/ Singapore time (GMT+8): December 8, 2021, 20:00-22:00
- Melborne/ Sydney (GMT+11): December 8, 2021, 23:00-01:00
| 8 December 2021 | Sub-forum 6 |
|---|---|
| Opening remarks • Howell Williams. Chief Development Officer of Keypath Education (Australia & Asia-Pacific) | |
| Presentations by panelists Moderator: Howell Williams. Chief Development Officer of Keypath Education (Australia & Asia-Pacific) • Nick Wailes. Director of Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) and Deputy Dean of University of New South Wales (UNSW) Business School (Sydney, Australia) • Wei Kwok Kee. Provost of Singapore Institute of Management (Singapore) • Linda Plank. Dean, Louise Herrington School of Nursing, Baylor University (Texas, USA) | |
| Q&A with panelists | |
| Closing remarks • Howell Williams. Chief Development Officer of Keypath Education (Australia & Asia-Pacific) |
Sub-forum 7: “Metaverse and Immersive Technology in Teaching and Learning”
(Watch it live in English and in Chinese!)
This sub-forum will explore how “metaverse” and immersive technologies can provide high-quality and interactive content using virtual and augmented reality solutions to teaching and learning. This will be led and co-chaired by Tsinghua University and XuetangX.
- US Pacific time (GMT-8) December 8, 2021, 16:30-18:00
- Paris time (GMT+1): December 9, 2021, 01:30-03:00
- Moscow time (GMT+3): December 9, 2021, 03:30-05:00
- Beijing/ Singapore time (GMT+8): December 9, 2021, 08:30-10:00
| 9 December 2021 | Sub-forum 7 |
|---|---|
| Opening remarks: • YANG Bin. Vice President and Provost, Tsinghua University; Convenor of Executive Committee, Global MOOC Alliance | |
| Guest speakers and panelists: • Pan Hui. Professor of Computational Media and Arts; Director of the HKUST-DT Systems and Media Lab, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) • SHI Kanle. Head of Computer Vision, AI Lab “Y-Tech”, Kuaishou Technology • WU Chenye. Assistant Professor, School of Science and Engineering, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) • Faustina Fan. Senior Manager (VR/AR Go-To-Market), Meta (formerly known as Facebook) | |
(… more details to come soon, stay tuned!)