Learning and Distance Learning announced the opening of 2nd International Conference under the theme of ‘Unique learning for next generation' here from Feb. 21 to 24. Dr. Ahmad Turkistani, chairman of the media committee of the conference, said over 80 speakers from 38 countries including the United States, Britain, Australia and Japan will deliver lectures during the three-day event. Among prominent keynote speakers on the occasion are Jim Wales, founder of Wikipedia, and Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of worldwide web. Sir John Berners-Lee is a British engineer and computer scientist and MIT professor, who is credited with inventing the World Wide Web, making the first proposal for it in March 1989. Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur and a co-founder and promoter of Wikipedia, a free web-based collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Dr. Turkistani said about 24 workshops and an exhibition with 60 exhibitors will be organized on the sidelines of the conference. Some of the leading IT companies and education institutions dealing in e-learning and distance education will participate in the exhibition, he said. “The conference has so far received over 5,000 entries from enthusiastic participants from within and outside the Kingdom. About 3,000 entries are from various countries that registered to attend the conference,” he said. The National Center for e-Learning and Distance Learning that operates under the Ministry of Higher Education is Saudi Arabia's regulator for e-learning and distance education. Dr. Turkistani said the center is keen to develop a quality education and teach the citizens both men and women members of the society across the Kingdom, particularly those living in the remote areas of the country. “A number of universities in the Kingdom have deanships for e-learning and distance education. What is required is developing courses that impart quality education to distance learners. The conference will also focus on challenges such as developing infrastructure required for e-learning and distance education,” he said. The conference will discuss six major topics with the basic aim to adopt latest technological trends in the area of e-learning and distance education, he said. He said on a trial basis the conference proceedings will be broadcast on leading television channels. Dr. Turkistani said King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is very keen to develop e-learning and distance education in the Kingdom. “The National Center for e-Learning and Distance Learning was established some four years ago, way ahead of other countries in the region. It is an indication of King Abdullah's keen interest in this kind of education,” he said. He said the center is currently working on a plan to broadcast distance-learning courses through leading Saudi television channels. “The curricula and other courses are being developed for introduction for such a program,” he said. He said the center has well-developed Saudi Digital Library that has the entire advanced infrastructure to cater to the needs of its users. Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz Al-Ohali, Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs and Chairman of Organizing Committee of the conference, will address a press conference Monday to brief about preparations for the event.
