University World News did an excellent interview with HETL Chief Liaison and HETL Vice President, Professor Mandla Makhanya, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa (UNISA), one of the largest universities in the world:
People from across the world have been collaborating to develop policies and actions that will chart the future for higher education, says Professor Mandla Makhanya, vice-chancellor of the University of South Africa. A high-level policy forum at next month’s conference of the International Council for Open and Distance Education, or ICDE, will apply regional lenses to help forge the way ahead for online, open and flexible learning.
The collaboration is sparking something great and innovative in the higher education environment, Makhanya told University World News. Also: “Technology is bringing about a rethink of the missions of universities, and of business models.
“We have acknowledged that the developments, the interconnections we have across the globe that bring about collaborations, are at the core of assisting us to have a different view of higher education. We are working far more together, in a closer fashion, than we ever have previously.”
The high-level policy forum will be one of three major activities around the 26th ICDE World Conference being held at the mega-resort Sun City, north of Johannesburg, from 14-16 October. There is also the conference itself and the ICDE Presidents’ Summit, which will focus on issues of leadership and governance.
The conference will be hosted by the University of South Africa, or UNISA, under the theme “Growing capacities for sustainable distance e-learning provision”.
Source: Global policy forum to forge future of online learning – University World News