ICDE presents at THE Digital Universities MENA conference in Abu Dhabi
The Panel moderated by the ICDE Secretary General. From left: Torunn Gjelsvik (ICDE), Prof. Nadia Badrawi (ANQAHE), Prof. Moustafa Hassan (HBMSU), Dr. Melinda Bandalaria (UPOU).
On 12-14 September, the ICDE Secretary General, Torunn Gjelsvik, participated in the program at the THE Digital Universities MENA Conference, taking place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The theme of the conference was “World-class education for a digital-first future”.
The Secretary General took part in two conference sessions; As a panelist in the discussion “Future thinking: What should a MENA Open University look like?”, and as a moderator for the session “Designing a benchmarking framework for online, smart and technology-oriented higher education".
In the panel “Designing a benchmarking framework for online, smart and technology-oriented higher education", moderated by Ms. Gjelsvik, the aim was to explore how to establish a common understanding and criteria for quality online, open, smart and technology-enhanced higher education for the MENA region and beyond. Among the panellists were ICDE Board Member and Chancellor of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, President of the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE), Prof. Nadia Badrawi, and the Vice-Chancellor of International Cooperation from ICDE member Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), Prof. Moustafa Hassan. The panel received a lot of attention and was one of the most visited at the conference.
An important take-away from the panel made by the ICDE Secretary General was that: “Now is the time to improve and develop also quality assurance mechanisms of education. As a response to the digital transformation and the necessary upscaling of education through various teaching and learning modes, we also need to innovate quality assurance standards and frameworks in all regions of the world”.
The panel titled “Future thinking: What should a MENA Open University look like?” aimed to discover the innovative potential of open education for the MENA region, along with the opportunities for the private sector to spearhead transformative education at scale. In the panel hosted by Ms. Miranda Prynne (Times Higher Education), Ms. Gjelsvik was joined by the Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs from Arab Open University, Mr. Salim Bagadeem, and the Assistant Provost of Lebanese American University, Ms. Jordan Srour.
Moreover, the panellists explored key characteristics they would look for in an open university. In addition to open admission policies and an inclusive approach towards broader learning populations, the ICDE Secretary General pointed out the value of a culture of openness within the institution itself. This could entail collaboration and a culture of knowledge sharing between faculty, staff and students, for example through the use and development of OER. She also highlighted the benefits that open universities can draw from external partnerships to increase their candidate's employability and ensure inclusive and affordable access through internships, scholarships and grants provided by private or public external partners.