On December 14th, 2023 Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance (GMA) Annual Board Meeting was successfully held in a hybrid mode. The meeting was divided into two sessions, one being held virtually in the morning (Milan time) and another taking place in the afternoon (Milan time) at Politecnico di Milano.
The board meeting agenda includes an opening address by the Board Chair, a comprehensive review of progress and activities undertaken, motions for the ratification of new Alliance members, an interactive dialogue among board members and representatives centered around the designated thematic focus, and a presentation by the Secretariat outlining the strategic plan for the upcoming year.
1. Opening address by the Board Chair
On behalf of the Board Chair, readouts were delivered online by Peng Gang (GMA Executive Committee Chair and Vice President & Provost of Tsinghua University) in the morning session and in person by Yang Bin (inaugural GMA Executive Committee Chair and Vice President of Tsinghua University) in the afternoon session.
In the opening address, it was articulated that throughout the preceding year, the Alliance has successfully leveraged the diverse strengths of its members, cultivating a community passionately committed to advancing educational innovation and fostering cross-cultural learning across various dimensions. This collaborative effort has yielded significant contributions to the evolution and innovation within the realm of online education. Looking forward, three strategic aspirations for the Alliance’s continued development were outlined.
Firstly, the Alliance aims to persist in the creation and dissemination of high-quality, inclusive educational resources. This endeavor involves judiciously employing emerging technologies like generative artificial intelligence to augment educational content, transform learning environments, and enable personalized and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Secondly, there is a concerted focus on reinforcing our capacity-building mission. This includes enhancing the competencies and skills of students, teaching staff, and education administrators, thereby equipping them to adeptly navigate the digitization landscape prevalent in higher education.
Thirdly, the Alliance aspires to intensify international exchanges and interactions. The objective is to spearhead the development of a comprehensive global network, contributing valuable insights and strategies towards the enrichment of higher education’s future. Such efforts are anticipated to play a pivotal role in fostering the sustainable flourishing of global human society.
2. Review of progress and activities in the previous year
After the opening remarks, the following video was shown to attendees to review the work and accomplishments of the Alliance during 2023:
3. Ratification of new Alliance members
The video was followed by the ratification and announcement of three new Alliance members: FutureLearn (an online education platform from the UK), Indonesia Cyber Education Institute (ICE Institute), and National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
4. Interactive dialogue among board members
Representatives from Alliance member institutions attended the meeting and shared their practices and experiences of online education through keynote speeches. In no particular order, attendees were:
- Ian Howell, Managing Director, FutureLearn;
- Paulina Pannen, Chairman of the Indonesia Cyber Education Institute;
- Uuganbayar Tumurkhuu, Director of International Relations and Cooperation, Mongolia University of Science and Technology;
- Vladimir Starostenko, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation and Information Security, Saint Petersburg University;
- Yu Jianbo, Head of Online Course Construction, Shanghai Jiao Tong University;
- Melchor Sánchez Mendiola, Coordination of Open Education, Educational Innovation, and Distance Education, National Autonomous University of Mexico;
- Wang Shuaiguo, CEO of XuetangX;
- Giuliano Noci, Vice-Rector, Politecnico di Milano;
- Paul Krause, Vice Provost, Cornell University;
- Kathy Pugh, Vice President of 2U/edX;
- Sky Zheng, Vice President of International Development, FutureLearn;
- Chahab Nastar, Research Director, Learning Planet Institute;
- Sun Hua, Director of the Provost Office, Director of the Center for Excellent Teaching and Learning, Peking University.
5. Strategic plan for the upcoming year
Wang Xiaoxiao, Secretary-General of the Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance, concluded the meeting with a proposal for the GMA Secretariat’s working plan for next year.
Both sessions of the annual board meeting were hosted by Enoch Wong, former Assistant Secretary-General and Senior Advisor of the Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance
