The OU5, consisting of University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), Hanoi Open University (HOU), Open University Malaysia (OUM) and Universitas Terbuka (UT), convened in order to continue to steer the consortium’s direction towards its future multidisciplinary, institutional, and ASEAN research projects focusing Open and Distance eLearning (ODeL) in the ASEAN region. The meetings were hosted by Open University Malaysia (OUM) last 10-11 May 2023.
OU5 Researchers’ Meeting
The OU5 researchers’ meeting consisted of several parallel sessions which delved into the following topics: innovative pedagogies; sustainable development; metaverse for effective learning; disaster risk and reduction management; and indigenous people revolving around the ASEAN region.
As part of the consortium’s long-standing efforts to imagine the University of the Future (UoF), it is still one of the core institutional research programs that OU5 is focusing on. A series of presentations were also geared towards historicizing accomplishments of OU5 and determining its next steps in terms of research and other ASEAN region-related endeavors.
OU5 Presidents Meeting
The OU5 Presidents meeting convened the member-universities leaders with the aim of discussing their current and future works. The activity resulted in the identification of research projects that the organization must focus on by the year 2024. Several projects by each member-university were also gazed upon, such as:
- Benchmarking exercise held by STOU;
- Quality Practices: A Comparison between OU5 Universities HOU;
- AAOU Quality Assurance Framework by the Association of Asian Open Universities; (AAOU) President, Prof. Ojat Darojat;
- Global Advocacy Campaign Asia and OU5 Participation in Triconference 2023 by UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda dP. Bandalaria and UPOU VC Dr. Jean A. Saludadez, respectively; and
- Next OU5 Meeting and Conference in Vietnam by HOU Vice-President Dr. Nguyen Minh Phuong.
As UPOU engaged in the foregoing meetings, it aims to participate more in multidisciplinary approaches of research in order to keep up with the ongoing trends in the ASEAN region, resulting in a more diverse and inclusive society for both the domestic and international arenas.
Contributed by Nikhaela Valenciano
Edited by Yasele Yambao and Margaret Jarmin-Suarez
