The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) has been elected for its second four-year term as a member of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Board. UPOU Chancellor, Dr. Joane V. Serrano, will represent the University on the Board.
UPOU’s term as board member will run from 2025 to 2029. The election results were formally announced during the closing session of the 30th ICDE World Conference held on 10-13 November in Wellington, New Zealand.
The ICDE Board is responsible for implementing member referendum resolutions and making policy decisions in line with the organization’s strategic plan, constitution, and applicable regulations. Board members serve four year-terms, for a maximum of two terms, with elections held every two years for three positions.
Prior to this, UPOU previously served as an ICDE Board member from 2022 to 2025, represented by former Chancellor Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, who was also conferred the ICDE Prize of Excellence Award in 2021. In the same year, former UPOU Chancellor Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso received the ICDE Prize for Lifelong Learning.
During the 30th ICDE World Conference, it was also announced that UPOU will host the 31st ICDE World Conference in Cebu, Philippines, in November 2027. With the theme “Reimagining Education for a Sustainable Future,” the conference is expected to welcome more than 500 ICDE members, along with leaders, champions, and advocates of open and distance e-learning from around the world.
Founded in 1938, ICDE is a global association, partly funded by the Government of Norway, and has been hosted in Oslo since 1988. It maintains a longstanding partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It brings together a global community of leaders and professionals in Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning (OFDL) who are committed to promoting inclusive, affordable, and high-quality education worldwide.
Written by Anna Cañas-Llamas | Edited by Primo G. Garcia
