A Brief History of ICDE
1938-2023
ICDE was founded in 1938 in Canada as the International Council for Correspondence Education (ICCE).
The first World Conference was held in Victoria, Canada the same year, and was attended by 88 delegates from 5 countries.
The 7th ICCE International Conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden, and was the first time the conference was hosted in Europe.
Pictured are Mr. Lars E. Frieberg, Managing Director of the conference host, NKI-skolan, with Miss Renée Erdos, elected President of ICCE.
The 8th ICCE International Conference was held at UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris, France in 1969. A total of 153 delegates from 35 countries attended the conference.
A significant outcome from this conference is ICCE's official partnership with UNESCO. Today, after more than 50 years, ICDE remains a key consultative partner to UNESCO.
Pictured: Mr. J. Balbir of UNESCO.
The 11th World Conference was held in New Delhi, India, attracting 192 delegates from 39 countries.
This was the first ICCE World Conference to be hosted by a developing country, as a response to the close work being done with UNESCO to advocate for Distance Education as a means to achieve the "Education for All" policy.
In 1983, the first issue of the ICDE Bulletin was published, with Dr. David Sewart as its editor. The year before, in 1982, the organisation transitioned from ICCE (International Council for Correspondence Education) to ICDE (International Council for Distance Education).
In the first editorial of the ICDE Bulletin, Dr. Sewart wrote:
"(The) growth in distance education has been matched by the interest and activities of ICDE and the vigour and breadth of this organisation was seen at the Vancouver Conference (...). One particular example of this vigour was the firm resolve that ICDE should provide a regular Bulletin for its members which should be widely available to distance educators throughout the world and should provide a forum for information on new developments and articles and items of general interest in the field."
1988 was a monumental year for ICDE. In addition to the 14th ICDE World Conference taking place in Oslo, Norway, the organisation also celebrated its 50th anniversary. Not least, this was the year the ICDE Secretariat was permanently established is Oslo, with funding from the Norwegian government.
In 1990, the 15th ICDE World Conference was held in Caracas, Venezuela.
This was the first time an ICDE World Conference had been held in Latin America. The conference had separate English and Spanish tracks, and separate conference books in these languages.
The ICDE Bulletin changed its name to Open Praxis in 1992. Until 2003, it was a printed journal published twice a year, and was only available to ICDE Members.
The journal was digitised in 2005, and in 2011 it was re-launched as a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.
The 20th World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education was held in Düsseldorf, Germany, hosted by FernUniversität. More than any other, this conference fulfilled its theme - Shaping the Transition, as it focused on the transition from the traditional system of paper, post and telephone to the new vision of web-based information.
During the conference, Torstein Rekkedal was awarded the ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the Field. He was the third person to receive this prestigious prize. Rekkedal is pictured here at the 2001 conference with the two previous recipients of the prize: Otto Peters and Börje Holmberg (photo taken by Morten Flate Paulsen).
The University of South Africa (UNISA) was the host of the 26th ICDE World Conference, in Sun City, South Africa, which welcomed more than 1,000 delegates from around the world.
A key outcome of the 26th World Conference in South Africa was the creation of the ICDE Global Doctoral Consortium (GDC), a community for post-graduate and doctoral students offering a network of expertise and advice from experts in the field of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL).
The ICDE GDC was re-launched in 2022, in partnership with member institutions: Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU), University of South Africa (UNISA), Asia e University (AeU) and the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (INN).
ICDE and Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences welcomed 350 delegates from over 37 countries to the first ICDE Lillehammer Lifelong Learning Summit in 2019. Among the speakers was Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg.
Key lessons and reflections from the Summit culminated in the Lillehammer Road Map, a set of recommendations and advice to achieve lifelong learning for lifelong employability.
A second iteration of the Lillehammer Lifelong Learning ICDE Conference was hosted in February 2023.
Pictured: Neil Fassina (left) speaking to conference delegates, and Norwegian Prime Minister, Ena Solberg (right).
The years 2020, 2021 and 2022 were largely defined by the outbreak of COVID-19. As a response to the pandemic, ICDE took the lead and launched the #LearningTogether campaign, inviting experts, learners, teachers and leaders to contribute to their curated resources page.
“A large number of schools and universities have been forced to close its campuses and are now shifting to online and distance modalities (…). ICDE collects and distributes valuable knowledge, best practices, resources, tips and tricks in order to support as many educators as we can in this endeavour." - Torunn Gjelsvik. Read the full letter.
As in-person gatherings were banned, ICDE organised its first-ever Global Virtual Conference Week in 2021.
In 2023, the 29th ICDE World Conference was held in San José, Costa Rica, under the theme "Joining Hands in Peace for the Futures of Education".
Hosted by ICDE member UNED Costa Rica, the conference welcomed 600 delegates during 6-10 November. Read the conference summary.
1988 and Beyond: ICDE Secretariat gains a permanent home in Norway
This year, we also celebrate 35 years of support from the Norwegian government. In 1988, the Norwegian government invited ICDE to establish a permanent secretariat in the country, and since then has provided the organisation with an annual grant to support its operations and mission of furthering the international development of open, flexible and distance learning.
The establishment of a permanent secretariat in Norway occurred in conjunction with the 14th ICDE World Conference, which was held in Oslo in 1988. The conference was attended both by Norway's Head of State, His Majesty King Olav V, and the country's Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland.
In a keynote speech, Prime Minister Brundtland said:
"The Norwegian Government considers the fact that the ICDE chose Norway as the location of its permanent international secretariat to be a sign of confidence in our traditions of distance education and in our country in general.
I assure you that we appreciate this confidence, and that we are pleased to host and support this international centre for distance education.
We hope that the secretariat will be able to make an important contribution to the development of international cooperation in this vital and expanding area."
The Norwegian Minister of Education, Mary Kvidal then stated:
"The Norwegian Government is particularly delighted and proud that ICDE, in this year, has chosen to establish its permanent home in Norway.
I can assure you that Secretary General and his staff at ICDE headquarters in Oslo will have the full support and co-operation of our government in the important work that lies ahead.
We recognise that the international work that lies ahead for the ICDE permanent secretariat is of great importance, not only to ICDE itself, but also to institutions and nations in many parts of the world.
We realise and appreciate the fact that ICDE has established its secretariat here on a permanent basis, and it will therefore be our aim to provide the basic funding for its operations on a permanent basis. This will be one of the contributions of this country to international development and collaboration in the increasingly important field of distance education."
Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland
Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland
Delegates of the 14th ICDE World Conference
Delegates of the 14th ICDE World Conference
His Majesty King Olav V (left) and Erling Ljoså (right)
His Majesty King Olav V (left) and Erling Ljoså (right)
Conference delegates
Conference delegates
Norway's King Olav V greeting conference organisers
Norway's King Olav V greeting conference organisers
Learn more about ICDE's history
Through the mirror of ICDE: from correspondence to distance to online
A journey through the history of ICDE, written by Dr. David Sewart in 2014.
Thirty Years with ICDE
A selection of ICDE anecdotes from My Online Education World: 1980 - 2020, written by Morten Flate Paulsen.
ICDE: The First Fifty Years
Look through the leaflet produced by ICDE for the organisation's 50th anniversary in 1988.
Watch: Video greeting from ICDE President,
Neil Fassina
ICDE Board
Across the globe educators grapple with a common range of challenges related to access, equity, flexibility, quality, reach, and scalability. These challenges find solutions in open and distance education. For 85 years, the ICDE has stood as a global community dedicated to advocating for, enhancing, and innovating educational methods that embrace a larger audience of underserved yet highly deserving learners. This approach revolves around accommodating learners’ schedules and prioritising learning, rather than access to a traditional classroom.
The need for modern interpretations of open and distance learning will be a constant, and the ICDE community remains at the forefront of the conversation.
Mark Nichols
Mark Nichols
Melinda Bandalaria
Melinda Bandalaria
ICDE provides the platform to be part of an international community of open and distance education scholars and practitioners, to share related undertakings and learn from the experts in the field.
ICDE is pushing the frontier of inclusion and access to learning opportunities through its various programs and initiatives and also demonstrating that quality education can be assured in the OFDL mode of instructional delivery.
I have been a keen observer of the work of the ICDE for nearly half a century. During this time, I have seen the organization, and the field it represents emerge from the peripheries of education systems into a mature form of educational practice.
For growing numbers of students, and practitioners in open, flexible and distance learning worldwide, ICDE continues to serve as the go to place for resources, expertise and experience in all things related to the field, as it continues to be widely accepted as part of mainstream educational processes.
Som Naidu
Som Naidu
Ebba Ossiannilsson
Ebba Ossiannilsson
ICDE members collectively make a difference and impact accessibility, equity, inclusion, diversity, human rights and social justice for all.
At ICDE, all voices are heard, respected and equally valued. With ICDE, you are on the right track for the futures of education.
Being an ICDE individual member, since the nineties of last century, opened up all the discussions about the relevance of open, flexible, distance learning; the digital innovations and the resilience of OFDL for the futures of education; for lifelong learning in the different public social policies such as in health.
It is awesome to celebrate our 85th anniversary. #ComeJoinICDE
Carlos Alberto P de Oliveira
Carlos Alberto P de Oliveira
ICDE Member Testimonials
An unexpected conversation with Athabasca's Dr. Rory McGreal at the 2019 WCOL in Dublin sparked the idea for my dissertation. He asked me a deceptively simple question about open universities in North America.
Now that I'm about to defend the dissertation that answers his question, I look back on that moment as a turning point that solidified my desire to combine my interests in history and distance education.
Thank you ICDE!
In the field of distance education, ICDE is without parallel as a network which can facilitate knowledge exchange, promote innovation, and share expertise.
In addition, the commitment shown by ICDE to educational values like inclusivity, affordability, and governance ensures that ICDE provides effective leadership to a global community of practice.
As a student member, I am able to engage with a global network of practitioners and leaders, access valuable knowledge from the Open Praxis and initiative-based resource publications that are pertinent to my research, and participate in international conferences and events at a special rate.
Most importantly, ICDE has enabled the flow of knowledge and information across borders to bridge connections to members worldwide who share similar goals and objectives; this benefit has been invaluable to my studies and research.
As an ICDE Ambassador for OER Advocacy, I have ample opportunities with our OERAC committee members and other international colleagues to contribute my enthusiasm and expertise to Open, Flexible and Distance Education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis with the resourceful and emotional support from ICDE global community.
I have been working in the field of ODL since more than two decades in the University of Mumbai.
I took the initiative of persuading the university to become a member of ICDE. I have successfully guided seven students for the award of PhD degree in Education and ODL areas.
To me, ICDE is important because it keeps us abreast of the latest development in the field of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, and in exchange of ideas across the globe.
ICDE Prizes of Excellence
The ICDE Prizes of Excellence are rewarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding achievements in the field of open, flexible and distance education.
Read on to see the former winners of the prize.
1999
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Börje Holmberg, Rector, Private FernFachhochschule Darmstadt, Germany and Otto Peters, Professor Emeritus, FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
Open University of Hong Kong (China) and University of Southern Queensland (Australia)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
James C. Taylor, Director, Centre for Distance Education, University of Southern Queensland, Australia
2001
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Torstein Rekkedal, Director for Research and Development, NKI, Norway
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
S.W. Tam, President, Open University of Hong Kong (China) and
Gabriel Ferraté i Pascual, Rector, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain)
Otto Peters, Börje Holmberg and Torstein Rekkedal, the first three recipients of the ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution. Photo by Morten Flate Paulsen.
Otto Peters, Börje Holmberg and Torstein Rekkedal, the first three recipients of the ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution. Photo by Morten Flate Paulsen.
Awards ceremony at the 20th World Conference in 2001.
Awards ceremony at the 20th World Conference in 2001.
Winners of the 2009 ICDE Prizes of Excellence: Gary E. Miller, Asha Kanwar, Fred Nickolmann, and representative from Shanghai TV University
Winners of the 2009 ICDE Prizes of Excellence: Gary E. Miller, Asha Kanwar, Fred Nickolmann, and representative from Shanghai TV University
2003-2004
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
Shared by University of Maryland University College (USA) and Athabasca University (Canada).
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Prof. David Sewart, The Open University (UK)
2006
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Prof. Dr. Bernard Loing, former Rector of the CNED (France) and senior ICDE representative to UNESCO.
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
The Open University of the United Kingdom
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Prof. Brenda Gourley, Vice Chancellor, The Open University of the United Kingdom, and Prof. Dr.-ing. Helmut Hoyer, former Rector of the FernUniversität, Germany.
2009
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Gary E. Miller, Executive Director Emeritus of Penn State World Campus
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
Shanghai TV University (China)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Asha Kanwar, President & CEO, Commonwealth of Learning, Canada
Outstanding Contribution to ICDE:
Fred Nickolmann, former President, SATURN, The Netherlands
2011
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Helmut Hoyer, former Rector of the FernUniversität, Germany.
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Fred Mulder, UNESCO Chair in OER and ICDE Chair in OER.
2013
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, Chairman, Board of Governors and former CEO and Vice Chancellor of Wawasan Open University, Malaysia, and Prof. Dr. Yilmaz Buyukersen, Lord Mayor of the city of Eskisehir and former Rector of Anadolu University, Turkey.
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Dr. Don Olcott, Professor of Educational Leadership and Open and Distance Learning, University of Maryland University College, USA.
2015
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Professor Olugbemiro Jegede, founding Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria and former Secretary General of the Association of African Universities.
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
The African Virtual University (AVU)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Dr. Irina Smirnova, Head of the Department for International Projects at Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics.
Helmut Hoyer (left), winner of the 2011 ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution, and Fred Mulder (right), winner of ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals
Helmut Hoyer (left), winner of the 2011 ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution, and Fred Mulder (right), winner of ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals
Winners of the 2013 Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the Field: Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan (left) and Prof. Dr. Yilmaz Buyukersen (right)
Winners of the 2013 Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the Field: Emeritus Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan (left) and Prof. Dr. Yilmaz Buyukersen (right)
Belinda Tynan (left), then-President of ICDE presenting the ICDE Prize of Excellence to Dr. Wayne Mackintosh (right).
Belinda Tynan (left), then-President of ICDE presenting the ICDE Prize of Excellence to Dr. Wayne Mackintosh (right).
ICDE Prizes of Excellence awards ceremony in 2019
ICDE Prizes of Excellence awards ceremony in 2019
2017
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
Open University of China (China)
2019
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Prof. Atwi Suparman, Professor Emeritus Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka (Indonesia)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Dr. Wayne Mackintosh, Director of OER Universitas Initiative, OERu Foundation and Otago Polytechnic (New Zealand)
2021
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Lifelong Contribution to the field:
Prof. Emeritus Grace Javier Alfonso, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and Prof. Andy Lane, Open University UK
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Institutions:
European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN) and University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)
ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals:
Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, Chancellor, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU)
Join the ICDE Community
Join our unique, global community of experts and advocates within open, flexible and distance learning. Members gain access to the latest innovative thinking in the field, promotion within specialised audiences, and the chance to impact the future of education.
Together, we can bring education to all.
Learn more and get involved
Global Advocacy Campaign
Through the Global Advocacy Campaign (GAC), ICDE enables members to collaborate in promoting Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) on the international stage.
ICDE OER Advocacy Committee
The ICDE OER Advocacy Committee (OERAC) works towards increasing global recognition of OER, and provide policy support for the uptake, use and reuse of OER.
ICDE Quality Network
The Quality Network gives advice and collects knowledge on the latest developments of quality work related to open, flexible and distance education within their institutions and respective regions.
ENCORE+
ENCORE+ is an ERASMUS-funded project supporting the uptake and innovation of Open Educational Resources (OER) for education and business in Europe. The project is coordinated by ICDE.
Global Doctoral Consortium
The ICDE Global Doctoral Consortium (GDC) is a virtual community platform for post-graduate and doctoral students that offers a network of expertise and advice from experts in OFDL.
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