This is the week of the EDEN16, the largest and probably the best academic and professional conference in Europe in the field of open, distance and eLearning. Year after year since 1992, the community is gathering in June for the EDEN Annual Conference. After the first one in Krakow, 20 other major European cities have hosted the conference at its 25 occasions so far. No less than ten thousand delegates had attended the different editions and shared the EDEN Conference experience. Looking back and forward to the history of such major annual event, what did actually strike us the most? What have we learned? What can we expect in the future? What surprises has EDEN prepared for the Budapest conference?
To inspire you on your reflection about this questions, I’ve invited today my good friend Andras Szucs, Secretary General of EDEN, to share with you his insights and personal recollections of the many editions of the EDEN conference. Naturally, to reflect on the 25 various EDEN conferences is also the sharing of a personal account about the experience of belonging to the EDEN community and also to analyse the evolution of the Association throughout these 25 years of service. Andras has kindly accepted that challenge too.
The connection of Andras to EDEN is deep and enduring. He has been the Association’s Secretary General since 1997, accumulating in the process a truly amazing experience, almost without parallel, that has been a tremendously valuable asset for our organisation. The continuity of EDEN throughout these decades is in many ways a result of the solid organisational development work carried out by the Association’s Secretariat under the responsibility of Andras and also his capability to advise wisely the Presidents and the Executive Committee. During my term, I had the opportunity to fully benefit from this great advantage as a leader.
In his most interesting post, Andras looks into the history of EDEN and shares a significant episode of the early days. His conclusion, that EDEN has become a pillar for the modernisation of education, is very appropriate. It should be said though that Andras was a major contributor to that reality we’re so proud of.
I hope to see you soon in Budapest, at the EDEN16. Come and join us for the celebrations of the Association’s Silver Jubilee.
António
