ONLINE Global Council, Advisory Board and Partner Organisations

• OEB Global Council

  

  Paul Bacsich

  Founder and Managing Director, Matic Media Ltd, UK

  Paul Bacsich is the founder and managing director of Matic Media Ltd, a boutique online learning consultancy active since 1996 in many UK, EU, UNESCO, OECD and international projects (often with global coverage) in such areas as virtual universities, virtual schools, open educational resources policy and practice, cost-effectiveness, digital transformation, benchmarking, and digital quality in higher education. He has specific experience of digital higher education projects in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Thailand, and UK.

  He is also CEO of Dualversity, a collective of consultants, and actively involved with start-ups in online learning. From 2018-21 he was Professor of Practice at the University of The West Indies Open Campus. He has also been Professor of Telematics at Sheffield Hallam University and Visiting Professor at the University of Derby Online. He has had senior roles in digital aspects of the UK Open University, the UK e-University, and the Global Campus of Middlesex Univesity, and has been involved with or studied many other online learning providers over the years, including several that have failed, or failed to achieve expectations.

  He created the first UK-accredited online microcredential for Teaching Teachers to Teach Online (TTTOL) as a contract from Interhigh, an online K-12 provider in UK. He is currently active again in this area as an analyst (after a 12-year gap) including looking at the lessons that can be drawn from such institutions and the wider K-12 sector for the more efficient running of universities.

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  Donald Clark

  eLearning Expert and Strategist, Plan B Learning, UK

  Donald Clark is a Learning Tech Entrepreneur, CEO, Investor, Author, Podcaster, Blogger and Speaker. He was CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group plc, which established itself as the leading company in the UK online learning market, floated on the Stock Market in 1996 and sold in 2005. He has been involved at all levels of investment – angel, VC, growth, PE and IPO. As well as being the CEO of Wildfire, an AI learning company, he also invests in, and advises, EdTech companies.
  An investor and board member of learning companies Cogbooks (sold in 2021 to Cambridge University) and Learning Pool (sold 2021 for $200 million), he was also on the Boards of City & Guilds, Learn Direct, University for Industry and the Brighton Dome and Festival. Wildfire delivers AI products and consultancy. He has published 3 books, on ‘AI for Learning’, ‘Learning Experience Design’ and ‘Learning Technology’. His fourth book on Learning in the Metaverse has just been commissioned.
  Donald has over 37 years experience in online learning, video, games, simulations, semantic, adaptive, chatbot, social media, mobile learning, virtual reality, AI and Metaverse projects. He has designed, delivered and advised on online learning for many global, public and private organisations. An evangelist for the use of technology in learning, he has won many awards, including the first ‘Outstanding Achievement in E-learning Award’ and ‘Best AIM Stock Market Company’, ‘Most Innovative Online Product’, ‘Best Online Learning Project and ‘JISC EdTech Award’.
  An award winning speaker at national and international conferences, he has delivered keynotes in the UK, Europe, US, Africa, Australia, Middle and Far East.
  His podcast series ‘Great Minds on Learning’ and 200+ articles on learning theorists are all online…… also a regular blogger (15 years+) on learning technology.
  Books
  AI for learning (2020) https://amzn.to/3HmAcIN
  Learning Experience Design (2021) https://amzn.to/3zDMdYk
  Learning Technologies (to be published Jan 2023)
  Metaverse and learning (to be published late 2023)
  Blogs
  Series on 200 learning theorists, from the Greeks to the Geeks https://bit.ly/3OdrPBs
  Podcasts
  Great Minds in Learning
  GREEKS https://bit.ly/3HpowVy
  ENLIGHTENMENT http://bit.ly/3oy80ec
  BEHAVIOURISTS http://bit.ly/3iUnINE
  COGNITIVISTS http://bit.ly/3oUxOBK
  PRACTICE http://bit.ly/3aAK5mk
  INSTRUCTIONALISTS http://bit.ly/3FEdYk8
  MORALISTS http://bit.ly/3qgdQC8
  SOCIAL https://bit.ly/3MTLGEw
  ASSESSORS bit.ly/3IX2A3C
  AFFECTIVE https://bit.ly/3HsDDhe
  INFORMAL https://bit.ly/3zym8Km
  WORKFLOW https://bit.ly/3xU4Q9n
  ONLINE LEARNING https://bit.ly/3Qn1Vgw

  The Learning & Development Podcast with David James https://bit.ly/3zzCGSd
  Reimagining Education with James Manion bit.ly/32D2LSf
  AI, Data, and Optimism with Leading Learning https://bit.ly/3tEyQUa
  AI is the New UI with John Helmer apple.co/3qF8oas
  Enhancing learning experiences using AI with Learning Science bit.ly/3FJGdNR
  The History of Learning and the Learning of History apple.co/3sMjXQ2

  Videos
  Don't lecture me! bit.ly/3HmLOtT
  TEDx Talk More pedagogic change in 10 years than last 1000 years bit.ly/3quRxqU

  

  Bert De Coutere

  IP & Innovation Lead, Center for Creative Leadership , Belgium

  Bert’s professional life is all about competent people. He thinks, publishes, consults, designs and sets up learning and development projects for corporations. His areas of expertise include technology enhanced learning, leadership development and innovation.

  Bert has been active in the field of corporate learning and e-learning for the last 25 years, first as instructor and course designer, later as project manager, consultant and business development manager. He worked at IBM Learning Development Europe where he was responsible for commercial e-learning development projects across Europe, and the management of the learning innovation initiatives. Thirteen years ago he joined the Center for Creative Leadership where he is now part of the global innovation team.

  

  Inge de Waard

  Learning Strategist and Connector, EIT InnoEnergy, Belgium

  Inge de Waard is the learning strategist at EIT InnoEnergy, she is a longtime researcher, activist, award-winning learning innovator and (e)Learning coordinator. She developed multiple online & hybrid courses, co-designed AI tools, and embedded learning innovations. Inge coaches and co-creates international, blended curricula with engineers and teachers, and explores innovative learning formats. Her expertise is recognized by peers, resulting in additional co-authored papers, invited talks and keynotes in both academic and professional conferences, workshops and seminars. She recently founded the Power Elders initiative to spotlight role models who changed their lives at any age beyond 50. Most of all, she likes to connect with people and share stories.

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  Rosa Garcia Calero

  Programme Director, eLearning Africa, Spain

  Rosa García Calero works as independent consultant in the field of education and ICTs. Starting as the International Relationship Manager in the Spanish Association of Educational Centres (CECE), she worked on building European and international networks and managing EU projects in the field of education and ICTs. She became Vice-President of EFVET (European Forum of Vocational Education and Training) and was also a member of the council of various other European Associations directly linked with education. She has managed different EU projects and, as an evaluator and reviewer of the European Commission, has focused on projects related to innovation and ICT practices for education and training. Rosa is highly committed to the future of education worldwide and in Africa in particular. In 2010, Rosa started working for the eLearning Africa conference, and in 2017 she became its Programme Director.

  Links

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosa-garcia…

  Twitter

  

  Charles Jennings

  Director, Duntroon Consultants, United Kingdom

  Charles Jennings is a leading thinker and practitioner in innovative talent, learning and performance approaches. An author and well-known speaker, he is particularly known for his work with the 70:20:10 model. His career includes roles as a business school professor, as head of the UK national centre for networked learning, as chief learning officer for global companies, as a consultant, and as a member of advisory boards for international learning, performance, and business bodies.

  Charles is a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society for Arts (FRSA) and a Fellow of the Learning & Performance Institute (FLPI). He is also a Senior Advisor at the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) and other bodies.

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  Laura Overton

  Analyst - Explorer - Writer - Facilitator, Learning Changemakers, United Kingdom

  I am an experienced international speaker, author and facilitator with a passion for exploring, challenging and sharing. I believe that the role of learning leaders in the changing workplace is to unlock the potential of business and people. My goal has always been to help learning leaders ensure that their organisations are equipped and ready through outcome-led and evidence informed practice.

  Together we will co-create the future of learning - one where learning leaders will become business critical as they uncover new ways to add value. As the founder of Towards Maturity- I led a global research programme for 15 years, bringing a community of practitioners, policy makers, experts and suppliers together to investigate how learning innovation delivers business value.
  I continue to investigate, to explore , to communicate insights and facilitate collaborative change in the industry through workshops, coaching and sounding board work via #LearningChangemakers and as co-founder of Emerging Stronger.

  Tracking the L&D learning innovation journey since 2003, I have authored/ co-authored of over 70 major research reports and, as a regular contributor to industry publications I have written over 300 articles. I continue to play an active role in research working with the CIPD and other significant industry bodies.

  As an industry change maker, I regularly share good practice findings as a keynote presenter at conferences around the globe and through masterclasses, webinars and seminars. I have served on several advisory boards including the original LPI Capability Map, the CIPD Professional Map and Learning boards, the Online Educa Global Council and the original Distributed Electronic Learning Group for the UK government.

  I am an academic fellow of the CIPD, a fellow of the RSA and the first female recipient of the Learning and Performance Institute’s Colin Corder Award for outstanding achievement. I was also the first recipient of the Learning Technology award for outstanding achievement and regularly appear in the top influencer lists for our industry.

  I am always willing to work with LearningChangemakers across the industry so please contact me if you would like to find out more about my writing, facilitation, coaching or soundingboard work.

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  Rolf Reinhardt

  Member of the Executive Committee, International Council on Badges and Credentials [ICoBC], Germany

  Rolf Reinhardt works for LinkedIn at the intersection of government, education and organizational learning. He is also an active member of the International Council on Badges and Credentials [ICoBC] to ensure a systemic view of badges and credentials for individuals, organizations and societies. Additionally, he serves as a Council Member to the Union of International Associations, as a Council Member to the OEB Global and as a Certified Supporter to the Corporate Social Responsibility community of ZiviZ at Stifterverband (W.I.E.). Prior to joining LinkedIn in 2016, he worked for Pearson, the largest education company in the world, on secondary, post-secondary and corporate training initiatives across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

  From 2011 to 2012, Rolf was tinkering on various visionary projects such as eLearning quality (epprobate), streaming (TEDx etc.), ePortfolios, Immersive Worlds, Networks of Change Structures as well as Coworking and Community Spaces.

  The focus of his work from 2007 till 2009 was on the ROI of eLearning programs for larger corporations. This focus changed with his assignment as Executive Manager of the European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning where innovation and technology as an enhancer of personal, organisational and societal development became a central topic.

  By the time he obtained his Engineering degree in Media Technology, Rolf worked on large digital transformation projects, for instance, for the L&D department of L’ORÉAL. Rolf later designed and managed complex eLearning projects mainly for corporate customers.

  

  Gilly Salmon

  CEO, Education Alchemists. Ltd, United Kingdom

  Professor Salmon is the founder and CEO of Education Alchemists Ltd - formed around her life's work including Carpe Diem learning design, pedagogical transformation, online education, technology-enhanced teaching, the 5 stage model, e-tivities, and Education 4.0. Until recently Professor of Learning Transformation and pro-vice-chancellor at universities in the UK and Australia, she is now based in London with all workshops offered fully digitally and worldwide. She is a well-known keynote speaker and workshop leader. Her books E-moderating and E-tivities are considered seminal texts

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  Rebecca Stromeyer

  Conference Chair OEB, Founder of eLearning Africa, Germany

  Rebecca Stromeyer has been actively involved in digital learning, EdTech and international education for over three decades. As the Managing Director and Founder of ICWE GmbH and co-founder and co-owner of ICEF GmbH since 1991, she has played a key role in establishing well-known conference, exhibitions and B2B and B2G events in these fields.

  She co-founded OEB Global in 1995  and has been involved in launching other education and training events, including ONLINE EDUCA MADRID in 2000, as well as similar initiatives in Iceland (2017), Russia (2015), Singapore (1997), Korea (1996), and the Arab world (2003). In 2005, she founded eLearning Africa, which has since become a leading conference and exhibition on digital learning and skills development in Africa.

  Rebecca has served as an advisor to international organisations and has been a board member of groups such as the International Council on Badges and Credentials and the Drucker Society. She was also Vice-Chair of the Global Business School Network and has worked with the Global Development Learning Network.

  In 2012, she launched the eLearning Africa Report, providing insights into digital learning and ICT developments across the continent. Her work continues to focus on education, skills development, and the role of technology in learning.

  

  Channa van der Brug

  Programme Manager, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung for Stifterverband, Germany

  Channa van der Brug is programme manager international affairs at at Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (https://hochschulforumdigitalisierung.de/en, the German Forum for Higher Education in the Digital Age) for Stifterverband, where she is developing opportunities for international knowledge exchange on good practices for digital teaching and learning. She has more than 20 years’ of experience in the education sector and a passion for the role of technology in shaping the future of education, as well as for developing deeper understanding and connections between diverse people and institutions through engagement and dialogue.

  

  Ellen Wagner

  Managing Partner, North Coast EduVisory LLC

  Ellen Wagner is an accomplished learning technology professional with career experiences in academic, commercial, and non-profit organizations. She has worked as a tenured professor and university administrator, was a founding ed tech entrepreneur, a senior executive of publicly traded software companies, a journal editor, and a board member of a number of start-up ed tech companies. Her areas of expertise include ed tech, emerging tech, change management, instructional systems design and learning engineering, and digital learning (online and eLearning).

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  Monika Weber-Fahr

  Senior Advisor, Results and Partnerships, World Bank / CreativeShifts.org, Austria

  Dr. Monika Weber-Fahr advises international organizations on innovative approaches to network management, cooperation and result orientation and is Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Until 2020, she served as CEO of the Global Water Partnership (GWP), following a term as COO at Sustainable Energy for All and over 20 years with the World Bank Group. Monika is Chair of the Board of ISEAL, a member of the Board of the Austrian Development Bank, of the Vienna Climate Lab Advisory Council, of the Deltares International Advisory Council, and of the OEB Global Council. She also is a beekeeper and an avid cyclist.
  OEB Global Council
• OEB Global Advisory Board

  

  Ali Alam

  Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer, Constructor University, Germany

  Ali Alam is a 21st century educationist and Chief Entrepreneurship and Innovation Officer at Constructor University, where he spearheads global initiatives in entrepreneurship education and human-centered learning. He is the founder of the Synthesis hub, which bridges industry and academia to help young people create impact-focused startups and thrive as future-proof learners. With an interest in connecting humans, tech, and nature to cultivate sustainable innovation ecosystems, he has built EdTech, MedTech, and SocialTech startups and shaped innovation strategies for Fortune 500 companies. He is a former recipient of The Diana Award.

  In the 21st century, education must evolve to prepare learners for rapidly changing landscapes. Ali's work exemplifies this by fostering future skills and human development. By integrating technology, experiential learning and innovative teaching methods, he ensures that students are not just passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in their learning journeys, equipped to address global challenges and seize emerging opportunities.

  

  Fawzi Baroud

  Assistant Vice President for Information Technology - NDU & UNESCO Chair on Open Educational Resources (OER), Notre Dame University- Louaize, Lebanon

  Over a period spanning 25 years, Dr. Fawzi Baroud has been engaged in promoting technology as a pedagogical tool tied to meeting educational objectives and assessment of learning outcomes in higher education. Specialized in eLearning, systems management, mathematics and electrical engineering, he combines numerous areas of academic expertise for advancing the use of technology in different curricular content areas.

  As the Assistant Vice President for Information Technology at Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU) in Lebanon, Dr. Baroud leads in the campus-wide planning and implementation of information technologies that support teaching and learning, including training faculty members to integrate educational technology in their teaching.

  As champion of open education on campus, Dr. Baroud has made the integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) a key strategic goal of the University. Under his watch, NDU became an institutional affiliate of Creative Commons, and he is currently in the process of formulating policies for the successful use of OER in teaching and learning. He conducts seminars and hands-on workshops on open education and open licensing at leading Lebanese higher education institutions and has become a reference point on the subject.

  Dr. Baroud has published several studies on eLearning and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) use in education, participated in conferences, coauthored the informatics national curriculum for Lebanon, and offered consultancy to academic institutions. His research centers on the use, integration and evaluation of ICT, OER, and eLearning implementation in higher educational contexts.

  Links

  http://www.ndu.edu.lbhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/fawzi-barou…

  Twitter

  

  Ilona Buchem

  Professor of Media and Communication, Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Germany

  Prof. Dr. Ilona Buchem is Professor of Media and Communication at Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. She teaches courses in bachelor’s and master’s programs, both on campus and online, including Digital Business (BSc.) and Media Informatics (MSc.).

  As the head of the Communications Lab, Ilona Buchem leads a number of projects on the application of humanoid robots as learning and teaching assistants in higher education context. Ilona Buchem has led a number of national and international R&D projects dedicated to technology-enhanced learning.

  Dr. Buchem is one of the Chairs of the EATEL Special Interest Group on Wearable Enhanced Learning, and is actively involved in some of the leading TEL organizations in Europe, including the European Association for Technology Enhanced Learning (EATEL), the European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN), and the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU).

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  Luis Cadenas

  Chief Executive Officer, RedCLARA, Peru

  LUIS ELIECER CADENAS is a Computer Engineer with postgraduate studies in economics, telematics, networks and computer science, with almost 30 years of experience in the sector of information technology and telecommunications in the private and public sphere.

  He has been co-founder, President and member of the Board of Directors of the national academic network of Venezuela, REACCIUN.

  He was President of the Latin American Research Network Association (Enredo 1998-1999), member of the board of the National Center of Supercomputing of Venezuela (Cecalcula, 1997-1999), and the directory of the Park Technological of Sartenejas (1997-1999). He worked seventeen years in Cisco Systems Inc.

  He is Executive Director of RedCLARA since August 1, 2017 (Orcid at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-1986).

  Links

  https://cl.linkedin.com/in/luiseliecerc…

  Twitter

  

  Jo Cook

  Director, Lightbulb Moment

  Jo Cook is Director of her company Lightbulb Moment, which specialises in developing, facilitating and training others to deliver great live online training sessions, virtual classrooms, webinars and blended, digital programmes. Jo has a background in teaching, technology and journalism. She facilitates, speaks, writes, blogs and tweets on L&D topics and part-time is the Deputy Editor of Training Journal magazine and website. Jo’s background includes further and higher education, the charity sector, small and large organisations, including CNN News and Bupa International.

  

  Jacques Dang

  Secretary of the Board, L'Université Numérique, France

  As secretary of the board for L'Université Numérique, the French digital university, and AUNEGe, the French OER repository for management & economics, Jacques leads collaborative initiatives in technological R&D, in cooperation with French universities, high-tech companies and academic partners around the globe. The projects involve next-generation networks, open and distance learning as well as evaluation and learning analytics.

  Jacques also chairs, together with the ICDE Secretary General, the francophone working group for the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendation on OER; this working group includes representatives from UNESCO, national UNESCO commissions, virtual universities or ministries for Higher Education from various francophone countries in West & Central Africa. He represents L'Université Numérique for participation in the UNESCO dynamic coalition for OER.

  He is a member of the board of various international initiatives, including ICoBC, the International Council on Badges & Credentials.

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  Twitter

  

  Sara de Freitas

  Executive Director, Study Group, UK

  I am an eminent educator with twenty-five years in higher education: building extensive national and international networks, an encyclopaedic knowledge of the sector and leading on university-wide programmes of portfolio and curriculum development, organizational transformation, strategic planning and global engagement.

  As an entrepreneurial leader, I have been an attractor for significant inward and external investment supporting infrastructure development, education improvements impacting ~95,000 students and promoting academic development for over 3,000 academic and professional staff in Australia and the UK. I have led on ten cross-university initiatives, including: three major curriculum and portfolio development programmes, transnational, blended learning and infrastructural education programmes operating with large capital (< $40,000,000) and revenue budgets (< $5,000,000).

  I have held responsibility up to Deputy Vice Chancellor level for portfolio areas including education and student support, and as a Director of Research raising over £5,000,000 in applied research, development and innovation funding through 56 projects and programmes, supporting numerous UK businesses, changing policy and delivering regional growth and research advance. Career highlights include: making gains of 8% in student retention and raising $7,300,000 in revenue from targeted learning interventions.

  My frameworks, case studies, models and academic work are captured in seven books and over 200 conference papers and journal articles, garnering 8,000 citations (44H index). My most recent book: Education in Computer Generated Environments came into paperback in 2017 and was published in the Routledge Research in Education series, outlining a ‘new learning’ paradigm.

  Currently, I am advising internationally-leading educational institutions and agencies as an Executive Consultant, supporting EdTech start-ups as a Board Advisor and continuing to develop internationally-leading research as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of London (Birkbeck).

  Links

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradefreit…

  Twitter

  

  Maren Deepwell

  Chief Executive, Association for Learning Technology, UK

  Dr Maren Deepwell has been CEO of ALT, the Association for Learning Technology since 2012, shaping the direction of education technology and driving the field forward internationally.

  Dr Deepwell is a seasoned keynote speaker, conference convener and writes regularly for publications in Higher and Further Education as well as policy development.

  With a background in Anthropology, Dr Deepwell’s particular focus is on a critical perspective on the development and future of technology in education, professionalisation and skills in Learning Technology including development of the CMALT accreditation framework and leveraging technology to create greater equity in education.

  Recent projects include open policy development, edtech start ups and organisational transformation which puts her commitment to open leadership into practice. Her work is bridging Learning Technology discourse across sectors in the UK and internationally.

  Links

  http://alt.ac.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/maren-deepw…

  Twitter

  

  Carlos Delgado Kloos

  Vice President for Strategy and Digital Education , Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain

  Carlos Delgado Kloos is Full Professor and Vice President for Strategy and Digital Education at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the Technische Universität München and in Telecommunications Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Previously he has lectured at TU München, UP Madrid and Universität Passau. He has also been a Research Scholar at MIT and Harvard.

  His main interest lies in the field of Educational Technology. He has participated in multiple national and international research projects, published in numerous conferences and journals, and managed international conferences. He is also the Holder of the UNESCO Chair on Scalable Digital Education for All and coordinator of the eMadrid network on eLearning in the region of Madrid. He is further the Spanish representative at TC3 about Education of IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing).

  Links

  http://www.it.uc3m.es/cdk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosdk/

  

  Jens Greefe

  Director of Studies, EADL European Association for Distance Learning, Germany

  Jens Greefe is the Director of Studies at the ILS in Hamburg, Germanys biggest distance learning provider, educating app. 70.000 students in more than 300 distance courses. He is responsible for the development and the organization of the course programs and for the quality management of the ILS
  He holds a diploma in Economics and is chairman of the Research & Development Committee of EADL since 2014. From 2012 until 2020 Jens Greefe was Vice president of the german association for distance learning “Bundesverband der Fernstudienanbieter” formerly named “Forum Distance Learning”.
  Since 2021 he is member of the Global Advisory Board of the OEB Online Educa Berlin
  Since 2022 Jens Greefe is member of the board of "Bundesverband der Fernstudienanbieter".

  

  Michael Härtel

  Head of Division 2.5, Teaching and Learning in VET, Training Personnel, BIBB, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, Germany

  Head of Section 3.2 “Digital Media, Distance Learning, Training Personnel”

  Advisory services to the Federal Government and to the corporate sector in the thematical field of ICT-based VET learning and working environments, designing, launching, monitoring & evaluation of national funding programms, joint shaping of implementation strategies for high quality results into the world of work. Ongoing improvement of web based services for trainers in VET (www.foraus.de) to support their daily practice of training in companies. Development of national standards for teacher & trainer qualification (Trainers`s Aptitude – AEVO, www.foraus.de), designing of (web based) training moduls and tools for further training of teachers & trainers (e.g. IT-Literacy). Advisory services within the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung´s international co-operation activities. Appraising, quality management and certifying of (web based) distance learning courses for continuous training.

  

  David Hollow

  Leader of Jigsaw Education and Research Director of EdTech Hub, EdTech Hub, UK

  David leads Jigsaw Education, an independent education research organisation focused on low-income countries with specialisms in EdTech, climate education and refugee education. He is also the Research Director at EdTech Hub, a global movement working for an evidence-driven future in EdTech. He has worked in over 25 countries, helping governments, donors and NGOs to use evidence to bring about lasting change in education. David holds a PhD from the University of London (2010) and serves on various boards, including for Refugee Education UK.

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  Sheila Jagannathan

  Global Head, Digital Learning & Capacity Building, The World Bank, USA

  Sheila Jagannathan is a lifelong learner and Head of the Open Learning Campus at the World Bank in Washington DC.

  She serves as the organization’s focal point on digital learning and issues at the intersection of technology use and education in emerging countries.

  She is an internationally recognized thought leader, advisor, author and a forward-thinking senior education leader with over 35 years of experience in leading capacity building, knowledge management, data, social learning and transformation change across public and private organizations.

  Sheila also provides policy advice and technical assistance to World Bank country-level capacity building programs (both government and training centers of excellence seeking to introduce technologies in their educational systems) in, East Asia, China, the Middle East and North Africa, Africa and South Asia.

  Please follow this link for information on her book ‘Reimagining Digital Learning for Sustainable Development - Upskilling, Data Analytics, and Educational Technologies Close the Skills Gap, published in June 2021.

  Links

  http://www.olc.worldbank.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-jaga…

  

  Oliver Janoschka

  Managing Director, Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (German Forum for Higher Education in the Digital Age)

  Oliver Janoschka has served as managing director of the Hochschulforum Digitalisierung (German Forum for Higher Education in the Digital Age, abbreviated: HFD) since its inception in 2014.

  Before founding HFD, Janoschka worked in the field of higher education in various European Member States for more than seven years. He has a proven track record of facilitating international policy projects, serving for example as director of projects for the European Association on Lifelong Learning in Higher Education (EUCEN) in Barcelona and Brussels and as lecturer and project coordinator for the Bosch Foundation in the Western Balkans. He holds a master’s degree in educational management, sociology and psychology from the University of Hamburg.

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  Thomas Jenewein

  Digital Ambassador, SAP , Germany

  In the last 20 years I worked in the intersection of human resources, people development and learning technology - after studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

  As a Business Development Manager and Digital Ambassador at SAP Training and Adoption I help our customers and partners to get the most out of our services & software. May it be a better innovation adoption, higher productivity, increased knowledge transfer or engagement. A key goal is to improve our customers digital journeys and learning experience. Before this role I was product manager for Education Software, earlier I led the SAP internal learning and development team responsible for strategic learning programs and new media.

  I am passionate about learning, collaboration and all facets from people development, talent management, social media, learning technology/ EdTech, coaching, knowledge management up to machine learning in learning & education. I also try to reflect and share my experiences via blogs, articles, books or presentations at conferences. Actually this is a great way for me to learn also.

  And since 2018 I co-Host the Podcast "EducationNewscast". You find it on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google or on openSAP.

  Links

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasjenew…

  Twitter

  

  Asha Kanwar

  Chair Professor, Beijing Normal University, Canada

  Professor Asha Singh Kanwar, one of the world’s leading advocates of learning for sustainable development, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning. Throughout a career spanning over 35 years, she has made outstanding contributions in the areas of teaching, research and international development.

  Professor Kanwar received her undergraduate, Master's and MPhil degrees from the Panjab University in India and a DPhil from the University of Sussex, UK. Her areas of expertise include open distance and technology-enabled learning, open educational resources, quality assurance, gender and organizational development. Professor Kanwar has written and edited a dozen books, published over 100 papers and articles, and delivered numerous keynotes at prestigious international conferences.

  Prior to joining COL, Professor Kanwar was a senior consultant in open and distance learning at UNESCO's Regional Office for Education in Africa (BREDA). She has also served as Director, School of Humanities and as Pro-Vice Chancellor at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in New Delhi, India. She was a Fulbright Fellow for post-doctoral research at Iowa State University in the US, where she was later invited to teach. Currently, she serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies and Education (IITE).

  Professor Kanwar won several international awards, including the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Prize of Excellence, and the Meritorious Service Award for outstanding contributions in open and distance education from the Asian Association of Open Universities. She has been conferred eight honorary doctorates from Universities in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

   

   

   

  Links

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/asha-kanwar…

  

  Gila Kurtz

  Dean, Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Israel

  Gila Kurtz is the Dean of the Instructional Technologies Faculty at Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) in Israel. For serval years she was the Academic VP of a company that provided e-Learning solutions for the corporate industry. Gila has been a visiting scholar at the University of Maryland University College, University of California Berkeley, Syracuse University and University Roma, TRE.

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  Rafal Lew-Starowicz

  Vice President, EdTech Poland, Poland

  Rafał Lew-Starowicz is a deputy director at the Ministry of National Education in Poland, coordinates the educational policy of innovation in Poland. Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science, the University of Warsaw and a PhD (ABD) at the Institute for Media Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, at the University of Special Education.

  As an employee of the Educational Research Institute, he participated in the evaluation of the “Digital School” Government Programme. Previously, he worked at the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the MaterCare International in Kenya, and directed the work of organizations whose task was to increase the safety of children and youth in the electronic media.

  He is a Polish delegate to the OECD Education Policy Committee, the European Commission Working Group on Digital Skills and Competences and the Consultative Committee of the “Safer Internet” in Poland, an expert at “Classroom 2.0” Project.

  He has been a member of the the PIAAC and PISA Boards of Participating Countries, Pan European Game Information Council (PEGI). He is the author of several publications on the safety of children and youth on the Internet.

  Links

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafal-lew-s…

  

  Sue Martin

  Board Member, eAssessment Association, Germany

  Sue Martin is a Board Member of the eAssessment Association and has been a trusted advisor to companies and institutions across Europe in the area of workforce credentialing, learning strategies and certification for many years, including her roles as Global Head of Certification at SAP and Global Head of Personnel Certification at TÜV Rheinland as well as regional and global management roles in the testing industry. She has also held several positions within industry institutions, such as the Chair of the European Association of Test Publishers, member of the Learning & Development Committee at BCS (British Computer Society) and EU Subject Matter Expert on digital skills initiatives.

  

  Ildiko Mazar

  Sector Consulting Manager, NTT Data, Spain

  Ildiko has over 25 years of professional experience in the field of open education and e-learning, and she is particularly passionate about informed and transparent knowledge, skill and competence recognition. In the past 5 years Ildiko has been focusing mostly on supporting the development and uptake of innovative solutions in the fields of competence development and digital (micro-)credentialing, more specifically the European Learning Model and European Digital Credentials for Learning. She is member of the CTDL Advisory Board, and one of the 3 Co-Chairs of the W3C Credentials Community Group's VC-EDU task force.

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  Barbara Moser-Mercer

  Visiting Fellow Oxford Refugee Studies Center, University of Nairobi, Kenya

  Barbara Moser-Mercer, professor emerita and founder of InZone (University of Geneva), is visiting professor at University of Nairobi, engaged in strengthening African solutions that advance Higher Education in Emergencies (HEiE) and has designed and been coordinating the African Higher Education in Emergencies Network (AHEEN) operating in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Burundi and South Africa to ensure that forcibly displaced youth access and complete higher education. She has also been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Center to advance her research into Higher Education in Emergencies. Following her initial training as conference interpreter she pursued her studies and research in cognitive psychology, focusing on the development of expertise in complex cognitive skills. She has applied these findings to learning in protracted humanitarian emergencies.

  

  Brian Mulligan

  Owner / Consultant, Education Futures, Ireland

  Brian Mulligan, a former Civil Engineer with a specialisation in computer simulation, transitioned into a successful 38-year career in higher education, working mainly with learning technologies. Widely regarded as a leader in education technologies in Ireland, Brian's impact has been significant. In 2002, he founded the Irish Learning Technology Association. Additionally, Brian spearheaded the establishment of Ireland's largest online distance learning operation. Today, he serves as an independent consultant, leveraging his expertise to strategically harness the power of learning technologies.

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  Fabio Nascimbeni

  Human Capital Development Expert, European Training Foundation (ETF), Italy

  Fabio Nascimbeni, PhD in Information and Knowledge Society, works as a Human Capital Development Expert at the European Training Foundation (ETF), an EU agency providing support to EU neighbouring countries for the reform of education, training and employment systems, where he mainly focuses on digitalisation and learning innovation.

  He has been active in the field of learning innovation and digital education for 25 years, working with organisations such as the European Commission, the ILO and UNICEF, and has designed and coordinated more than 50 research and innovation projects across Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Mediterranean and South East Asia.

  His main research interests are open education, digital literacy and digital inclusion. He is a Senior Fellow of the European Distance and eLearning Network (EDEN) and a Fellow of the CEST centre of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and of the Nexa Centre of the Politecnico di Torino in Italy.

  

  Dominic Orr

  Project manager atingi, GIZ, Germany

  Dr. Dominic Orr is adjunct professor for educational management at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia and part of the leadership team at GIZ for the BMZ-funded digital learning platform called atingi, which has over 400 thousand registered users. He follows and shapes educational reform through his work. In 2020 a publication he co-authored on the future of higher education in 2030 was published by Springer. He has worked as an external consultant for the EU, the OECD, UNESCO and the World Bank.

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  Ebba Ossiannilsson

  Board Member, ICDE, SADE, Sweden

  Ossiannilsson is Professor in innovation and open online learning. She is an independent expert, quality reviewer, and researcher in the fields of open and distance learning. She is the V President of the Swedish Association for Distance Education, and a board member in Job and Skills Coalition Sweden. She is in ICDE, and EDEN Executive Committee, in addition, she is a quality reviewer at ICDE and EADTU, the chair of the ICDE OER Advocacy Committee, and ICDE OER Ambassador. Ossiannilsson is a member of ICoBC and Chair the Committee for Taxonomy and Quality Grid. She works for the European Commission, UNESCO; COL, and ITCILO.

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  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebbaossiann…

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  Thea Payome

  CHECK.point eLearning, Germany

  Thea Payome has been a freelance journalist and author for 30 years. After studying political science at the Hochschule für Politik in Munich and completing an editorial traineeship, she worked for print media, radio and in documentary film.

  Since 1997, she has devoted herself increasingly to the New Economy, among others in the field of eLearning. In 1999 she became head of the department "Startup & Finance" at NET-Investor, NET-Investor-Verlag Munich and later became head of the department "International Markets".

  In May 2001, she was awarded the Journalist Prize at the German Startup Days in Berlin. The European eLearning Award "eureleA" followed in February 2004 in Karlsruhe.

  Since 2004, Thea Payome has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of the industry information service CHECK.point eLearning, which observes, analyzes and describes eLearning markets in a German and an English edition and contributes significantly to industry development and community building.

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  https://www.linkedin.com/in/thea-payome…

  

  Annette Peet

  Project Manager, SURF, The Netherlands

  Annette Peet (1964) is an experienced project and program manager at SURF. SURF is the collaborative ICT organization for Dutch higher education and research. It offers students, lecturers and scientists in the Netherlands access to the best possible internet and ICT facilities. The last 20 years she has been working in the field of higher education. She has expertise on online & blended learning and digital assessment. 

  Annette graduated as Master of Science at Utrecht University. Since then she has worked as senior consultant and project manager for several consultancy agencies, the Ministry of Transport, Utrecht University and SURF. Her focus has always been on accelerating adoption of (IT) innovation within institutions and facilitating collaboration between parties involved; she's an experienced community builder and knowledge exchange manager.

   

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  https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-pee…

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  Wilfred Rubens

  Consultant, Edublogger and Editor at e-learning.nl, WilfredRubens.com/e-learning.nl, Netherlands

  Wilfred Rubens (1964) currently works as an independent consultant on technology enhanced learning. Wilfred works as a project leader on the selection and implementation of learning technologies. He provides advice about curriculum development, pedagogy and the use of technology for learning. Wilfred delivers keynotes and presentations, and he facilitates workshops and classes about technology enhanced learning. Wilfred has been professionally involved in e-learning for almost 30 years. For more than 18 years he blogs about ICT and learning. He published a book about elearning trends and developments (in Dutch), and he is co-author of a book about social learning. Wilfred is also one of the editors of the Dutch portal e-learning.nl, member of the advisory board of the anual Dutch Next Learning conference and member of the advisory board of OEB Global.

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  Prof. Dr. Anja Schmitz

  Professor HRM, Pforzheim University, Germany

  Anja Schmitz is a professor and program director of the master's program in Human Resource Management at Pforzheim University. In her research she investigates how learning in organizations is changing and how learners can best be supported. As a speaker and author she focuses on the topics of new work, new learning and learning ecosystems She is involved as an advisory board member in various organizations, e.g. the Global Advisory Board of Online Educa Berlin (OEB), the Advisory Board and the Think Tank Learning of the Zukunft Personal trade fair. Prior to her appointment, she held various positions in the areas of human resources and organizational development.
  Further information on New Work & New Learning: https://learningdevelopment.institute/home/learning-development-institu…

  

  Jef Staes

  Architect Learning and Innovative Organisations, Red Monkey Company, Belgium

  Jef Staes (1956, Belgium) is an authority on learning processes, innovation and culture change. With decennia of professional experience (Engineering Digital Telephony, Training Manager & Corporate Learning Officer), he currently assists CEO’s and Managers to find a comprehensive answer to the changing dynamics of today’s world. He is a passionate & inspirational author, keynote speaker & concept creator. His striking metaphors and stories are guaranteed eye-openers and his thoughts on the future of business and education inspire many. Google 'Jef Staes' or 'Red Monkey' and you know where he stands for.

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  Richard Straub

  President, Global Peter Drucker Forum, Austria

  Richard Straub is Founder and President of the Peter Drucker Society Europe and of the Global Peter Drucker Forum.

  He is also Associate Director of the EFMD, a leading network of Business Schools and Corporations with the mission to improve the quality and effectiveness of management education and development. In his 32 years with IBM Dr. Richard Straub has held key international executive positions such as Deputy General Manager for PC Europe and Global Chief Learning Officer. After having retired from IBM end of 2005 he stayed connected to the company as Senior Advisor to it's global Education Industry.  
   

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  Karoline Tellum-Djarraya

  Section leader, The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, Norway

  Experienced Senior Advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the government relations industry. Strong community and social services professional skilled in Intercultural Communication, Politics, Strategy, Change Management, and International Relations.

   

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  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karoline-te…

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  Herman van der Merwe

  Deputy Dean: Teaching & Learning, North-West University, South Africa

  Prof Herman calls himself a “recycled Geneticist”, but his previous Vice-Chancellor renamed him “e-Man” to capture his fascination for the use and management of technology in education!

  Currently Deputy Dean of the Faculty Economic and Management Sciences, responsible for Teaching and Learning and the CEO of an expert centre called CUTE (Centre for the Utilisation of Technology in Education).

  A CoP in innovative teaching and learning with technology (iTLT) support his research initiatives in a creative environment.

  In 2015 the University recognised his contribution to innovation with an “Innovation Evangelist” award.

  “As a teacher, researcher, policy advocate, manager and leader, he is a visionary leader whose fascination with technology has been informed by his commitment to serving the highest ideals of people and education.” Prof Reggie Ncobo

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  Geraldine Voost

  Global L&D Manager, Bronkhorst High-Tech, Netherlands

  Geraldine Voost is a seasoned L&D professional with over 20 years of experience in the field. With a degree in Cognitive Science, she has a deep understanding of the intersection between psychology and computing science, which she has used throughout her career to design effective and engaging learning experiences.

  Geraldine has held various roles within the L&D space, including trainer, instructional designer, e-learning developer, learning technology specialist and L&D management. Her diverse experience has equipped her with the ability to understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing L&D departments of all sizes and types.

  One of Geraldine's key strengths is her ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organization. She understands the importance of collaborating closely with business leaders to ensure that L&D initiatives align with organizational goals and drive tangible results.

  Geraldine is passionate about sharing her knowledge and insights with others, and is committed to helping L&D professionals at all levels succeed. She believes that by bridging the gap between theory and practice, L&D can create meaningful and lasting change within organizations.

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  Tom Wambeke

  Chief Learning Innovation, ITCILO, Italy

  A United Nations Senior Executive with 20 years of work experience in managing capacity development programmes with focus on learning innovation and digital transformation. Worked with cross-functional teams on innovation projects across more than 50 countries. Diplomas from the University of Leuven and University of Antwerp (Belgium) and executive certificates from the University of Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Public speaker on Innovation, Strategic Foresight and digital transformation. Author of different toolkits, publications. Chief Learning Innovation of the Training Centre of the International Labour Organization since 2015. Specialized in providing sustainable learning solutions with the objective to generate impact and organizational change.

  As a certified international facilitator (IAF) actively involved in strategy facilitation, participatory knowledge sharing, networked learning and ICT4Development. Passion for complexity adaptive thinking, intentional serendipity, foresight analysis and futures exploration.

  The Programme he is leading has a double mandate: to strengthen the Centre’s in-house capacity to apply state-of-the art learning, communication and knowledge sharing methods and technology, and to provide learning, innovation and communication services to outside partners on a global scale. In this context he works closely together with UN agencies, development banks, international organisations, governments and NGO’s.

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