Conference spotlights open education in human resource development
The 32nd annual conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) opened in Hanoi on October 24, bringing together about 400 delegates from 20 countries and territories worldwide.
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Themed “Open Education in Human Resource Development for Asia in Period of Integration,” the conference provides a platform for academics and administrators to exchange views and experiences in open and distance learning. Some 270 presentations have been submitted to share study findings and hands-on experience on the importance of open and distance learning in Asia’s human resource development in integration.
The event, which runs through October 26, is expected to foster research in open and distance learning and pave the way for expanding partnership among educational institutions in the region and the world.
It will address the following sub-themes - Human Resource Development in Open Universities; Open Education in Technical, Vocational, and Skills Development; Education Practices in Foreign Languages and Academic Disciplines; and New Technologies in Open Education – during six parallel sessions.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc said against the backdrop of today’s globalisation and international integration, each country is required to have a competent workforce that meets international standards. They must be daring and have knowledge on and interest in foreign culture, as well as good communication and foreign language skills, he noted.
He spoke highly of the conference’s theme and expected presentations and ideas delivered at the event will lay a basis for further developing educational methods, programmes and systems to facilitate the provision of skilled workers who can keep up with the growing trend of globalisation in all sectors.
Founded in 1987, the AAOU is a non-profit organisation of higher learning institutions that are primarily concerned with open and distance education. It strives to widen the educational opportunities available to all people in Asia, improve the quality of the institutions in terms of their educational management, teaching and research, and promote education by distance teaching systems.
Hanoi Open University has been a member of the AAOU for 18 years that have expanded cooperation with a number of member institutions. The University hosted the 24th AAOU conference in 2010.
