INTRODUCTION TO EDEN AND TO THE CONFERENCE

Professor Alan Tait, President of EDEN

HOW DO WE WORK ?

• EDEN: launched in 1991• Strong background in active membership• Meeting place: an influential “hub”

in lively networks. • Functions, activities in synergy:

– membership,– conferences,– policy,– project work

THE PROGRESS IN 2009-2010

• Maturity of EDEN's profile and strategic activities• Membership services – new portal of the

Network of Academics and Professionals (NAP)• Good achievements in organisation development

and academic-professional-policy impact• European experience and know-how in valuable

perspective

MEMBERSHIP

• Varied, active, developing community • EDEN Membership in 2010:

– 190 institutional members, 1150 individuals in the Network of Academics and Professionals,

– Altogether 56 countries• Over 400 institutions represented

in the membership• 15 institutions joined EDEN in the last year

130 new members in NAP

KEYWORDS: QUALITY AND PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

• Conferences– EDEN conferences: major academic

and professional events in Europe;

• European Journal of Open, Distance and E-learning (EURODL)

• Fellow Awards – EDEN Fellow and Senior Fellow

Respected scheme of recognition

• The EDEN Book:Distance and E-learning in TransitionLearning Innovation, Technology and Social Challenges

Selection of best papers of the EDEN Conferences

PARTNERSHIPS WITH INTERNATIONAL FELLOW ORGANISATIONS

• EDEN: constructive partner in the European distance and e-learning networking initiatives

– The Learnovation Stakeholders Round Table, – European Learning Industry Group – ELIG,– EFQUEL (European Foundation for Quality in E-learning),– European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD),– Observatory of Borderless Higher Education, (OBHE),– Elearningeuropa.info,

• Reciprocal membership, liaison with international networks– EuroPace, European Students’ Union, European Society for

Engineering Education (SEFI), International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE), European Association for Distance Learning (EADL), MENON Network, European Universities Continuing Education Network (EUCEN)...

– US Distance Learning Association (USDLA), Sloan-C Consortium (US),

• European Economic and Social Committee Secretary General as Delegate

EU PROJECT WORK

• Focus on innovative, strategic projects• The EDEN potential acknowledged and

utilised in EU programmes

• In the past 8 years: EDEN collaborated with 168 institutions in projects

WHAT NEXT?

• Keep the momentum: develop EDEN in range of size and impact

• Develop further the membership services for collaboration and engagement

• Valorisation, mobilisation of the renewed NAP Area

• Encouraging and recognising excellence: Fellow Scheme, EURODL, Best Research awards

• Maintain the good branding• 2011: 20th EDEN Anniversary !

Look forward to a next modernisation wave in EDEN !

Welcome to Valencia !

Welcome to the EDEN Family!

HAVE AN EXCELLENT CONFERENCE!