His Excellency Dr. Mansour Al-Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), received Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). The bilateral meeting discussed the strategic partnership between HBMSU and ICDE aimed to re-launch the Global Doctoral Consortium (GDC) using the “Cloud Campus” platform, in the presence of Prof. Moustafa Hassan, Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation; and Elena Tarasova, Senior Manager, International Relations at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

The two sides discussed current and prospective areas of international collaboration between the two institutions with a focus on the strategic plan to jointly revive the ICDE Global Doctoral Consortium. The project aims to support and empower PHD students undertaking their research in the fields of smart, online, open, and distance education and facilitate their educational journey towards a doctoral degree. By providing the resource and communication platform to the consortium, HBMSU will open PhD scholars access to unique expertise and networks. Members will have a forum to present their research in the fields of innovative pedagogy and teacher training, EdTech and innovation, design of e-learning and others, and discuss their research with peers and faculty from ICDE member universities. As a key partner of the initiative, HBMSU will contribute its expertise in smart learning to support PhD scholars by providing unique resources and organizing dedicated webinars with leading experts of HBMSU’s School of E-Education and Deanship of Research and Doctoral Studies.  

Dr. Mansoor Al Awar said: “Our partnership with the ICDE is part of our keenness to share our expertise and experience in laying the foundations of academic, knowledge and professional excellence, and strengthening cooperation and coordination with international institutions and bodies that share us the ambitious vision to accelerate transformation towards a smart learning system based on technology and innovation. We look forward to launching the Global Doctoral Consortium through the “Cloud Campus” platform in cooperation with the ICDE.”

Al Awar added: “We are pleased to move forward in employing the “Cloud Campus” system to empower PHD students and enhance their educational experience, and to support projects of the ICDE, reflecting our vision based on re-engineering higher education in line with the challenges of the current stage, anticipating the requirements of the future, and facilitating the access of learners to the resources and tools of high-quality education. We are committed to advancing the smart education sector globally, especially in the Arab world, and providing learners with the tools that allow them to achieve academic leadership and excellence in various fields.”

Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of ICDE, said: 'We are pleased to cooperate with HBMSU in re-launching the ICDE Global Doctoral Consortium. We also express our appreciation to the University for the support it provided. This milestone is a fruit of the partnership between the ICDE and HBMSU, and a qualitative addition to our efforts in empowering PhD students and employing our capabilities to enhance their educational experience.”

ICDE is a long-standing partner of HBMSU and a strategic partner of the Consortium for Benchmarking Framework for Online, Open, Smart, and Technology-Enhanced Higher Education initiated by HBMSU to unify the efforts of open and digital universities, higher education institutions and quality assurance institutions globally. ICDE is the oldest global association in the field of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning (OFDL), with a proud history for promoting inclusive, affordable access to quality education.  

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