Around 60 academics from 25 countries will gather for the Asia-Europe research meeting on the topic ‘Self-learning in a Digital Era’ on 2-4 November 2015 in New Delhi, India. The meeting will be organised by the ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub) and supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Ministry of Education and the Innovation Centre Denmark at The Royal Danish Embassy in New Delhi.
The ASEM LLL Hub provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation between researchers, practitioners and policy-makers on lifelong learning issues. This meeting will focus on concepts and practices for lifelong learning, contemporary possibilities of self-learning in a digital era and key concepts for policies and practices in Asia and Europe. Speakers will include Mr LE Huy Lam, Director of SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning, Viet Nam, Professor Jeremy KNOX from University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and Professor Rajaram SHARMA, National Council for Educational Research and Training, India.
According to ASEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr Karsten WARNECKE: “New knowledge has never been as accessible as it is today with information and different courses just a few clicks away. Technological achievements have been a major encouragement for universities to make information more easily accessible to their students and academic staff, as well as to the general public. This in turn is raising concerns about the quality assurance, accessibility and importance of appropriate teacher training, which need to be addressed.”
‘Contribution of MOOCs’ will be one of the core topics discussed during the meeting. In this regard, participants will share the notion expressed by the ASEM Education Ministers during the 5th ASEM Education Ministers’ Meeting on 27-28 April 2015 in Riga, Latvia that, “ICT plays a key role when it comes to open universities and distance learning – tools for extending education to all students, irrespective of their social background and geographical location”.
In relation to the above, the ASEM LLL Hub’s Research Network on e-Learning was mentioned as a strong network for ASEM education cooperation within the field of ICT. This network and all its strong research members will be present at the meeting in New Delhi and share their knowledge and future comparative evidence-based research in the field of lifelong learning and e-learning.