New Zealand's capital city will welcome the International Council for
Open and Distance Education’s (ICDE) 30th World Conference in
2025.
A joint bid between Te Pūkenga - the New Zealand Institute of Skills & Technology, and Massey University in Wellington, secured the 2025 conference for New Zealand.
Dr Mark Nichols, event co-chair representing Te Pūkenga and ICDE board member, said hosting the international ICDE event will put Te Pūkenga and Massey University’s work in broadening access to tertiary education on the world stage.
“Many of the open
universities represented across the ICDE global membership have student numbers
greater than the entire New Zealand tertiary sector,” Nichols said. “The
small, distributed population of New Zealand makes open and distance learning a
key feature of our ako (learning and teaching) provision.”
Professor Giselle Byrnes,
event co-chair representing Massey University added that the partnership
between Te Pūkenga and Massey University offered enhanced opportunities for
learning and sharing best practice across the wider tertiary education
system.
“Besides being the ‘coolest
little capital in the world’, Wellington brings together the very things any
conference of this nature is concerned with – accessibility, a hub of political
and policy decision-makers, a warm and welcoming Aotearoa New Zealand
experience, close proximity to the outdoors, and a great launch-point for further
exploration north and south,” Byrnes said.
“Tākina, the new conference venue,
is also a natural drawcard with its centre-city location and proximity to a
vibrant selection of entertainment, restaurants, and accommodation.”
Business Events Wellington
manager Irette Ferreira said the win aligns with the city’s strength in the
education sector. Wellington is home to several internationally recognised
universities and tertiary institutions, as well as being close to the Open Polytechnic
business division of Te Pūkenga and Massey University, where Aotearoa New
Zealand’s leaders in open and distance learning are based.
“Hosting a conference focused on removing barriers to
education also directly supports the city’s Economic Wellbeing Strategy which
identifies lifelong learning and online learning as important components in the
development of Wellington’s future labour market,” Ferreira said.
The biennial event will take place at Tākina
Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre in November 2025 and is expected
to attract more than 800 international leaders in the field of open and
distance learning to New Zealand’s capital.
