On December 8-13, 2019, I worked as a quality reviewer on behalf of ICDE for University Terbuka (UT), Indonesia. For me, it was the second time, as I was there in February 2016 as well. For University Terbuka (UT) it was the fourth time (2005, 2010, 2016, and now in 2019). The review team on behalf of the  ICDE were Professor, Dr. Ebba Ossiannilsson, Sweden (more responsible for the report), Professor, Dr. Alan Tait, United Kingdom (Chair), and Profesor, Dr., Shironica Karunanayaka, Sri Lanka.

The core management team for the ICDE review at UT and the ICDE reviewers, 2019

I have been invited as a keynote speaker and panelist to the ESUD/CIEUD2019 in Brazil from 27 to 29 November 2019 in Teresina. It was a really exciting conference and an exciting venue. It was my first time in Brazil, so everything was new. Next to me as international keynote Stephen Downes speaker. My presentations were on Open Educational Resources as Catalysts for Open Education and on The Open Movement for Social Justice: Urgent Innovations to achieve the SDGs.

Betydelsen av digital kompetens blir allt viktigare i Sverige, Europa och globalt. Som en följd har Europeiska kommissionen lanserat en Kompetensagenda för Europa där ”Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition” är en av tio åtgärder. Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Sweden utgör den svenska kontaktpunkten inom ramen för detta initiativ. Idag ingår 24 organisationer i #DigitalSkillsSweden.

Genom SVERD (Svenska Riksorganisationen för Distansutbildning) medverkar jag i arbetet med Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Sweden. I Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition Sweden ingår ett drygt 30 tal organisationer i Sverige, vilket gör at vi har en bred kompetens och ett brett verksamhetsomåde att bygga på.

Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition syftar till att knyta samman alla goda krafter i unionen för att främja digital kompetens. Varje medlemsstat organiserar sig i form av nationella koalitioner där intressenter som på ett eller annat sätt verkar för främjande av digital kompetens samlas och agerar tillsammans i nationella koalitioner.

En rad aktiviterer har redan genomförts, bla möte med Utbildnings-och forsknngsminiser Matilda Ernkrans den 2 oktober 2019, var motto är

”Oavsett var du bor i vårt land ska det finnas goda möjligheter att studera vidare. Vi ska se till att Sveriges studenter får bra förutsättningar och en trygg studietid. Vi investerar i utbildning och forskning för att bygga ett starkare samhälle.”

 This week I was invited as an expert to host a seminar TAM: EU Expert seminar at Yedju Technical Institute in Tashkent, Uzbekistan 18-19 November 2019. The seminar was organized by the European University Association (EUA) who is managing for the European Commission in partnership with the University of Barcelona (UB): Centralised Support for Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE) in European Neighbourhood countries technical assistance missions’ (TAM). In addition, the seminar was hosted in collaboration with MHSSE, NEO, and Yedju Technical Institute in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The seminar gathered some 70 -80 delegates from universities and similar organizations from the country as well as the State Inspection for Supervision of Quality in Education (TBC).

The mission of the seminar was on:

Improving the quality of teaching in educational institutions through the introduction of new educational programs, modern pedagogy and smart-technologies in the educational process (introduction of electronic modules and introduction of distance learning), the acquisition of digital skills and learning methods, the development of open educational resources.

The seminar had its foundation in the UN UNESCO SDG Goals, not at least SDG4, SDG8 and SDG!6. Social Justice was a theme throughout the seminar Practical measures are taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, the foundation for the seminar was on the 4th industrial revolution. The 4th Industrial Revolution has an impact on how we live, work, communicate, integrate and interact with others, the environment and society. Of course, it also changes the way we learn. More important, besides the increased digitalization is that we need both science and humanities for a Fourth Industrial Revolution. There are needs for SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ETHICAL revolutions as well. In addition, to the SDGs UNESCO's new initiative on Learning to become was highlighted and argued on. In addition, there was a focus on the forthcoming UNESCO OER recommendations.
 
The themes, for my presentations during the 2 days were on

• Global Challenges and Trends in the Changing Learning Landscape
• Urgent Needs for Revision of the Quality Agenda and Quality Models around the Globe
• European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) and  Considerations for  e-learning Provisions
• Modern Pedagogy, OER/OEP/OEC, and Smart Technology
• Digital Competences, Smart Learning related to quality

You can find my presentations at: 

Slideshare

Linkedin profile

This year I visited again the Yoga Games in Malmö, arranged for the second time. So the first year in Malmö was in 2018. Yoga Games 2018

Yoga Games - the Nordic Yoga Conference started in Malmö with great success in 2018 and 2019. A part of the event is a large Marketplace where companies get the opportunity to showcase and market their brands and products. The Marketplace is free and open to the public.

About 40 companies have a stand at the Yoga Games Marketplace. As a visitor, you get the opportunity to meet well-known companies and brands from the health and wellness industry. In most booths, you will also be able to buy products.

Even this year there was a huge variety of classes and well recognized international yoga teachers. Just to mention the classes, with the teachers I attended,  Kundalini yoga with Gong, with Ulrika Liard Wedin; Pathways to Visvamitrasana, Henrik Schmidt; Flower if Power, Rusty Wells; The Diverse Romance, Amir Jaan, nad  Sweet Surrender with Michael James Wong. Michaels class was just magic with the mantras on: 

IKE - Be Real
KALA - Be Limitless
MAKIA - Be Free
MANUWA - Be Present
ALOHA - Be Happy
MANA - Be Powerful
PONO - Be Truth