Open Education

I am  delighted to share again my contribution and collaboration with The University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, which offers this unique degree programme in Leadership in Open Education. The courses I have been involved in are Introduction to Open Education and the Team Project course, which are now completed. Later, I will be involved in and responsible for some of the students' Master’s theses.

This course is unique in its kind. The background is that contemporary society is characterised by major and rapid changes related to technological development, globalisation, limited resources, migration, and numerous other challenges. Managing these changes requires the use of all available potential, so changes in education are also necessary. Globally, open education, which increases the accessibility and flexibility of learning through solutions based on new information and communication technologies (ICT), is becoming increasingly important. It enables more rational use of resources and meets the needs of new generations.

The study programme has been prepared in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair on Open Technologies for Open Educational Resources and Open Learning at the Jožef Stefan Institute. The programme is designed based on experience from our joint online mentoring programme, Open Education for a Better World, with contributions from international experts at both UNESCO and the Jožef Stefan Institute. The programme supports the implementation of the UNESCO Recommendations on Open Educational Resources by building the capacities needed to achieve their valuable goals.

 The programme equips educators and professionals with strategies to design and manage open learning, integrate e-learning technology, and scale pedagogical frameworks to international and institutional levels. It is designed to be highly flexible and is offered mostly online, with some required in-person attendance at the campus, though hybrid options are occasionally available depending on circumstances. The degree combines strategic, pedagogical, technological, and business aspects of open learning. It builds capacity in line with UNESCO Recommendations on Open Educational Resources (OER).

Outcomes: Graduates are prepared to lead OER initiatives, drive institutional reforms, and manage digital educational communities across academic and non-academic environments.

Today, 24 July 2026, we held our weekly meeting to write and edit our white paper on behalf of ASEF7 and ASEF7 Innolab. Our topic is the triangulation of Open Education/OER, AI, and the SDGs. Our main question is: How can Quality Open Education shape the future of AI and sustainability? The central premise of this white paper is captured in the mantra: Human Wisdom. Trusted AI. Sustainable Futures. These three pillars are mutually reinforcing. Human wisdom provides the ethical judgment, critical thinking, and contextual understanding that AI cannot replace. Trusted AI enables responsible and transparent use of technology while respecting human values and rights. Open Education provides the knowledge infrastructure that allows reliable, multilingual, openly accessible educational resources to be created, shared, adapted, and continuously improved in support of the SDGs.

In today’s world, universities have a global social responsibility to help create dynamic, sustainable communities founded on equality of wealth, gender, and cultural background. International higher education has been criticised for being too neoliberal; now is the time for it to change. Hence, our white paper also focuses on the role of universities and on innovative, future-oriented leaders who have the courage for change, agility, and resilience.

ASEFInnoLab7

The programme aims to strengthen cross-regional networks and dialogue on the role of universities in AI innovation ecosystems by building institutional capacity, promoting ethical and inclusive AI practices, and generating actionable outputs to inform strategic policy and leadership in higher education. In this edition, we will deliver a full programme with virtual and in-person elements in various formats throughout the year. About 60 higher education experts, professionals, academics, and researchers from Asia and Europe will participate. I am proud and delighted to be part of this programme. White papers produced through this process will articulate strategic pathways through which higher education institutions can align AI development and deployment with societal needs, ethical principles, and long-term public value. The white papers will address issues within the three subthemes: AI4GlobalGood, AI4PublicInterest, and AI4InstitutionalExcellence.

All teams’ white papers should be ready and presented at the conference in Nottingham, UK, from 24 to 29 August 2026.

RETRIDOL webinar on A Critical Conversation on Gender-Responsive Leadership in Open and Distance Education (ODE), will be held January 26, 2026

I am honored and humbled to have been invited to this very interesting and important panel discussion, together with my colleague Mpine Makoe. Thanks to Felix Kayode Olakulehin, Retridol. 

Some of my arguments, which will be highlighted, are on

• Gender-neutral leadership assumes equality; in practice, it often reinforces existing inequities.

• Gender-responsive leadership explicitly acknowledges structural barriers, power relations, and lived realities.

• Moves beyond numerical representation toward transformative and equity-driven leadership.

• Requires an intersectional approach, addressing gender alongside age, disability, socio-economic status, geography, and culture.

• Applies across policy, pedagogy, assessment, technology, and organizational culture.

• Emphasizes ethical, relational, and care-centered leadership, particularly relevant in ODE contexts.

Panel question:
How can ODE leaders design for equitable outcomes rather than equal treatment?

Power, Governance, and Decision-Making

• ODE systems often replicate traditional hierarchical power structures, despite an open ethos.

• Women and marginalized groups remain underrepresented in strategic decision-making.

• Key areas affected include digital transformation, AI adoption, funding priorities, and quality assurance.

• Governance models may embed implicit gender bias through performance metrics and leadership norms.

• Gender-responsive leadership requires transparent, participatory, and shared governance.

• Invisible and care labor, disproportionately carried by women, must be recognized and valued.

Panel question:
Who holds decision-making power in ODE, and whose voices remain excluded?