Following the open consultation conducted with the EDEN Fellows Council and the subsequent vote by the EDEN DLE Management Board on March 10, 2025, we are pleased to announce the recipients of the EDEN Fellow and EDEN Senior Fellow Awards. These distinctions recognise outstanding contributions to the field of digital learning and sustained engagement within the EDEN community.

New EDEN Fellows

Dr. Nati Cabrera
Open University of Catalonia
Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Master’s in Quality Assurance in Higher Education at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. A longstanding member of the Edul@b research group, Dr. Cabrera brings over 30 years of academic experience, marked by leadership in digital transformation, quality assurance, and educational innovation. A dedicated contributor to EDEN’s events, she has actively involved her doctoral students in the EDEN community and played a central role in shaping international research and practice in e-learning.

Dr. Fiona Aiken
The Open University
Senior Lecturer in the School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences. Fiona’s research addresses the student experience, with a focus on eco-anxiety and building student resilience. An editor and reviewer for leading academic journals, she has presented regularly at EDEN conferences since 2018 and has served on the EDEN NAP Steering Committee—becoming Chair in October 2024.

Prof. Ilona Buchem
Berlin University of Applied Sciences
Professor of Communication and Media, leading the Communication Lab at BHT. Her work explores human-robot interaction, AI in education, and digital credentials. With over 20 years of innovation in TEL, she is actively involved in national and European research initiatives and chairs the EATEL Special Interest Group on Educational Robots (EduRobotX).

Assoc. Prof. Anat Cohen
Tel Aviv University
Specializing in digital learning and self-regulated learning, Anat has engaged with EDEN since 2007 and is a regular contributor to EURODL. Her award-winning research has focused on AI in education, digital competence, and open educational resources, contributing to multiple EU-funded projects and international initiatives in lifelong learning.

New EDEN Senior Fellows

Prof. Denise Whitelock
The Open University
Director of the Institute of Educational Technology and a leading expert in AI-enhanced learning with over 25 years of experience. Denise is Editor of Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance & e-Learning, and has held visiting academic appointments internationally. She has been a key contributor to EDEN as a Board Member and Vice President for Research since 2022.

Assoc. Prof. Vlad Mihaescu
Politehnica University of Timisoara
Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer and a prolific researcher with more than 40 publications. Active in European projects on eLearning and digital entrepreneurship, Vlad has served as Chair of EDEN’s NAP Steering Committee and Management Board Member. He also played a pivotal role as Local Conference Manager for EDEN’s 2020 Annual Conference.

Congratulations to all awardees!
Your dedication and impactful contributions continue to elevate the EDEN network and the field of digital education globally.