Meeting with Secretary General of ICDE, Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik

On January 29, 2024, at the invitation of Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), Prof. Henry Hui, Chairman of AIEI, along with accompanying personnel, visited Shanghai and engaged in a constructive exchange and meeting with Ms. Gjelsvik at the meeting lounge of the Shanghai International Expo Hotel for nearly 2 hours.

During the meeting, Secretary General of ICDE provided a detailed introduction to the background and operations of the organization. As the lifelong Secretary General, Ms. Torunn Gjelsvik manages ICDE, a 85 years old organization, as one of the official consultative body of UNESCO in the fields of distance education, open education, and international educational cooperation. 

With over 320 member institutions and partners across all five continents, it can be regarded as the oldest and largest non-governmental organization in the field of distance and open education, established in 1938.

In turn, representatives from AIEI provided a comprehensive introduction to AIEI's significant contributions in the international education field and its profound and extensive influence in the Greater China region, as well as its network of university partners and alumni resources worldwide. This allowed the Secretary General to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of AIEI.Throughout the meeting, both parties proposed numerous cooperation initiatives with far-reaching significance, aimed at further advancing the cause of distance and open education, promoting collaboration in the international education field, and further propagating the noble concept of lifelong education.

This marks a dual enhancement of the international influence of both AIEI and ICDE!