TAGUIG CITY, Philippines | Education leaders from the Philippines and abroad are laying the groundwork for the 31st International Council for Open and Distance Education World Conference, which will bring educators, policymakers, researchers and technology experts to Cebu City from November 15 to 19, 2027.
Hosted by the University of the Philippines Open University, the conference will carry the theme “Reimagining Education for a Sustainable Future” and will examine how education systems can become more inclusive, scalable, resilient and sustainable amid rapid technological, social and environmental change.
ICDE Secretary General Torunn Gjelsvik and UPOU Chancellor Joane V. Serrano are among the education leaders involved in preparations for the conference. Recent consultations in Cebu brought together representatives of local governments, universities, tourism and international institutions, including the Cebu Provincial Capitol, University of Cebu, University of the Philippines Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City and the Royal Norwegian Consulate. The delegation also met with representatives of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Department of Foreign Affairs, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, UP Office of International Linkages and SEAMEO Innotech in Manila.
The preparations included two Knowledge Dialogues held in September. The first took place at UP Cebu on September 23 and focused on resilient, inclusive, scalable and sustainable learning systems. Discussions covered artificial intelligence, institutional resilience and community-based learning, while Gjelsvik highlighted continuing global gaps in access to education and technology.
A second dialogue was held at the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Metro Manila on September 25 under the theme “Open and Distance Education: Building Sustainable, Inclusive, and Scalable Learning Systems.” ICDE and UPOU organized the event with ADB, bringing together education leaders and institutions to examine how open, distance and flexible learning can strengthen education systems and respond to changing needs.
The 2027 conference will be organized around five interconnected areas: flexible and inclusive learning; transformative technologies; credentials, skills and the future of work; governance, policy and sustainability; and communities, partnerships and global solidarity. According to ICDE, the areas reflect the need to address technological transformation, changing workforce requirements, inequality and the wider challenge of ensuring access to quality lifelong learning.
The conference theme draws on the Filipino balangay, an ancient seafaring boat associated by the organizers with collective movement, adaptability, shared responsibility and community resilience. ICDE says the boat’s interlocking construction also reflects the importance of partnerships and shared roles in navigating complex challenges in education.
The choice of the Philippines also places open and distance education within the context of an archipelagic country where geography, disasters and unequal access to infrastructure can affect the continuity of learning. UPOU has emphasized the need for learning systems that can continue operating when physical classrooms are disrupted by disasters, infrastructure problems, health emergencies, conflict and other crises.
UPOU, established in 1995, has played a pioneering role in online teaching and learning in the Philippines and is the institutional host of the 2027 conference. The university’s role reflects the country’s longer experience in using open, distance and technology-supported education to reach learners beyond conventional campuses.
The ICDE itself has a history stretching back more than eight decades. It was founded in Canada in 1938 as the International Council for Correspondence Education. The organization changed its name to the International Council for Distance Education in 1982, later adopting its present name, and established a permanent secretariat in Oslo, Norway, in 1988. ICDE has also maintained a formal consultative partnership with UNESCO since 1967.
From its beginnings in correspondence education to its present focus on open, flexible, online and distance learning, ICDE has followed the transformation of education technology and delivery models. Its World Conference has likewise developed into a regular international forum for researchers, educators, institutional leaders and policymakers to exchange ideas and discuss the direction of education systems.
With the 2027 conference still more than a year away, the consultations in Cebu and Metro Manila have already begun connecting Philippine institutions with the international education community. For the organizers, the challenge ahead is not simply to expand the use of technology, but to examine how education can remain accessible, flexible and sustainable while keeping learners and communities at the center of the system.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar is a tenured associate professor at National University (NU) Manila and a steering committee member of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He has contributed to NU's community extension initiatives that introduced the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities within a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with Master of Development Communication (MDC) and Doctor of Communication (DComm) degrees from the University of the Philippines (UP) Open University in Los Baños and was awarded with a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) SIKAP grant. He previously served as editor-in-chief of The Adamson News and his high school publication Ang Ugat.
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
- DC Alviar
