SUN CITY, South Africa, Oct. 20, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the closing ceremony of the 26th International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) World Conference in Sun City, ICDE announced Canada’s Contact North | Contact Nord as the host of the 27th International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) World Conference in Toronto, Canada from October 17 – 19, 2017.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/290e99a3-e80b-4511-88fa-d6fd6957a57b
Over 4 million residents in 600 small, remote, rural, Aboriginal and Francophone communities across Canada’s largest province, Ontario, are able participate in online and distance programs and courses from Ontario’s 24 public colleges, 22 public universities and 250 literacy and basic skills and training providers without having to leave their community by accessing the services available in English and French from Contact North | Contact Nord.
Contact North | Contact Nord was established by the Government of Ontario in 1986. In 2016, it starts its fourth decade of operation, a milestone in the provision of access and equity to post-secondary education and training opportunities for residents of the province through its 112 online learning centres. Contact North | Contact Nord is headquartered in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
“The International Council for Open and Distance Education is delighted the 27th ICDE World Conference is being held in Toronto, Canada,” noted Tian Belawati, President of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and Rector of Universitas Terbuka. “Toronto, which is believed to mean ‘meeting place’, is the ideal host city for the ICDE 2017 World Conference. It is the largest city in Canada, boasting a population of 2.5 million, and is heralded as one of the most multicultural cities in the world with over 140 languages and dialects spoken.”
“With the world’s second largest land mass and a small population primarily clustered along the Canada-U.S. border, online learning is used in all parts of Canada as an effective way to provide access and equity to post-secondary education and training for Canadians in small, rural and remote areas without having to leave their community. Online learning is a key contributor to Canada’s impressive post-secondary attainment rate of close to 65% of its adult population and positions Canadians to take advantage of the emerging global opportunities,” noted Gard Titlestad, Secretary General, of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).
“Our team looks forward to hosting an estimated 1,000 faculty members/instructors from colleges and universities, practitioners, experts, policy-makers, academic decision-makers and technology providers involved in the field of online learning from Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, Latin America and the Caribbean who will converge in Toronto for this bi-annual world summit on online learning,” stated Maxim Jean-Louis, President – Chief Executive Officer, Contact North | Contact Nord, and Chair of the 27th International Council for Open and Distance Education ( ICDE) World Conference Organizing Committee.
The 27th International Council for Open and Distance Education ( ICDE) World Conference takes place at the Toronto Sheraton Centre Hotel from October 17 – 19, 2017.
About ICDE: The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) is the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning, and draws its membership from institutions, educational authorities, commercial actors, and individuals. ICDE has consultative partner status with UNESCO and shares UNESCO’s key value – the universal right to education for all. ICDE further derives its position from the unique knowledge and experience of its members throughout the world in the development and use of new methodologies and emerging technologies.
ICDE was founded in 1938 in Canada as the International Council for Correspondence Education, and today has members from over 70 countries worldwide.
Nearly 1,000 delegates from 67 countries participated in the 26th ICDE World Conference in South Africa in mid-October 2015, with every region of the world represented at the major event.
ICDE's Permanent Secretariat is in Oslo, Norway, and has been hosted by this country on a permanent basis since 1988. ICDE is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and by membership fees.
For more information about ICDE, visit: www.icde.org.