Jukka Lerkkanen continues on the EADTU Supervisory Board, as JYUOpen celebrates 40 years
Lerkkanen's appointment on the Board is his third, spanning 2024–2026.
The selection of the new EADTU board took place during the .
is an international network for the development of online, open and distance higher education. Member organisations represent 24 countries. The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ is the only member university from Finland.
"At JYU, we feel it is important to be active on the highest possible levels, in international networks such as EADTU. This allows us to continue advocating for a student-centred approach to open university education. Right now, collaboration across borders and education systems is key to e.g. the development of microcredentials," tells Lerkkanen.
The 2024–2026 EADTU Supervisory Board
- Klaus-Dieter Rossade, Open University (UK)
- Fernando Val Garijo, UNED (Spain)
- Ali Resül Usul, Anadolu University (Türkiye)
- Àngels Fitó, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain)
- Jukka Lerkkanen, Open University of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ (Finland)
- Sandrine Albert, FIED (France)
- Nicola Paravati, UNINETTUNO (Italy)
- Uwe Elsholz, FernUniversität in Hagen (Germany)
Theo Bastiaens, Rector of Open Universiteit (Netherlands) continues as EADTU President.
A milestone for JYUOpen and open university teaching
EADTU member representatives gathered at the Innovating Higher Education Conference 2024 (I·HE2024) 23–25 October in Limassol. This year, the annual conference also entailed the commemoration of JYUOpen's 40-year history as a respected provider of open university education in Finland.
The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ first established a centre for continuing education in 1984, with its study selection initially comprising education, special education, and sociology. The early years saw many additions to the disciplines and the beginning of a long-sustained commitment to innovative open and distance education.
Interactive e-learning has been a key feature of JYUOpen's activities from 2001 onwards, and by the 2010s, teaching and learning at JYUOpen has been fundamentally based on flexible online learning. A steadfast focus on student-centred practices has paid off, as JYUOpen has for many years running held the title of most popular open university in Finland.
As EADTU Managing Director George Ubachs remarked at the ceremony:
Today we celebrate a remarkable milestone of 40 years of JYUOpen. What began as a modest initiative in 1984, has now grown into a national leader in open university education. (...)
This success would not have been possible without the dedication of everyone involved—past and present faculty, staff, and leadership of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥. But it is also a tribute to the students, who have trusted JYUOpen.
Here’s to the next 40 years of empowering learners, breaking barriers, and leading the way in open education.
