We were pleased to support Massey University and the Open Polytechnic to present a free lunchtime webinar with Ms Torunn Gjelsvik, Secretary General of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). 

Torunn Gjelsvik was joined by Dr Mark Nichols from Open Polytechnic, the President of ICDE, and Professor Giselle Byrnes Provost of Massey University to introduce the ICDE, talk about the work they do, and discuss the international trends in distance/open education related to access, equity and scalability. 

The webinar lasted approximately an hour, with a Q&A session afterwards.

Watch the webinar

Who is Torunn Gjelsvik? 

Torunn Gjelsvik from Oslo, Norway, has been the Secretary General of ICDE since 2020. She is a strong advocate for inclusive, scalable and sustainable education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Gjelsvik holds a Masters’ degree in Nordic languages and literature, and her education background includes French, History, Management and Strategic communication. She started working with development of distance and online education in 2000, and has held various national and international leadership positions within the field.

Gjelsvik’s international experience covers advocacy, policy advice, international networks and partnerships, global events and cross-country project management related to the global field of open, flexible, distance and online education. She is often seen as a speaker or panelist at international education conferences around the globe.

About the ICDE

Established in 1938 in Canada, the International Council for Open and Distance Education is the leading, global membership association for Open, Flexible and Distance Learning working to bring inclusive, quality education to all.

Hosted by Norway since 1988, it is one of the world's oldest and largest non-governmental organisations in the field of distance and open education, with over 320 member institutions and partners across all five continents. It acts as the official consultative body for UNESCO in the fields of distance education, open education, and international educational cooperation. 

The ICDE impacts millions of students, shares knowledge and best practices, facilitates intercultural collaboration, and advocates for progress and recognition of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL) worldwide. 

ICDE Conference 2025

The 30th ICDE World Conference 2025 will take place in Wellington, New Zealand from 10-13 November 2025. It will be hosted by ICDE Institutional members, Te Pūkenga and Massey University of New Zealand. The theme of the conference is Ako: Exchanging ideas for inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education. 

The design of inclusive, scalable, and sustainable education is central to the futures of global higher education, a priority for practice around the globe. 

Read more about the ICDE conference