欢迎大家参加联合国教科文组织系列国际研修班，并对此次研修班能够以开放远程学习的课程开发为主题表示祝贺。开放与远程教育面临最具挑战性的任务之一就是，开发远程模式进行的相关课程以满足不同学习者的需求。今天，我特借此机会感谢上海开放大学，感谢她自1997年以来以UNESCO东亚地区远程教育教席的名义举行了一系列国际学术交流与研修活动。
远程教育、开放和E学习的存在，使高等教育获得了开创性的新的局面。特别在亚太地区，开放和远程学习的发展非常迅猛。在该地区，有70多所开放大学，其中巨型大学的数目占了全世界的一半以上。
正是考虑到开放远程教育的巨大发展，联合国教科文组织为此设立了高等教育开放与远程学习知识库项目。该项目主要支持院校的决策者和执行者获得各类信息和工具，以帮助他们在高等教育事务中进行更为有效的政策制定、开放远程学习的管理与发展。为了普及该知识库的运用，地处泰国曼谷的联合国教科文组织亚太地区教育局正在组织一项可操作的实践性活动。该活动主要内容将在此次研修班中推介如何使用决策支持工具和E-论坛。如需获取相关信息，欢迎您访问网址：http://asiapacific-odl.edu.my
预祝本次研修班取得丰硕成果。
WELCOME MESSAGE
International Training Workshop on Curriculum Development in ODL
22-25 Oct, 2005
Shanghai, China
Welcome to the International Training Workshop on Curriculum Development in ODL and my congratulations to the organizers in choosing this theme for the workshop. One of the most challenging tasks in open and distance education is to develop relevant curricula to be delivered in the distance mode and to suit the needs of a diverse range of learners. I would like to take this opportunity to compliment Shanghai TV University for organizing a series of international training workshops as the UNESCO Chair in ODL for East Asia since 1997.
Distance education, open and e-learning have opened up new prospects for increased access to higher education. Developments in open and distance learning are particularly strong in Asia and the Pacific region. There are over 70 open, virtual universities in the region, which hosts more than half of the existing “mega universities” in the world.
In view of this significant development, UNESCO has developed the Higher Education Open and Distance Learning Knowledge Base project to support decision makers and practitioners with ready access to information and tools that will assist them in more effective policy planning, development and management of ODL in higher education programmes. To popularize this knowledge base, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok is organizing a hands-on practical session on the use of decision support tool and the e-forum in this workshop. We welcome you to visit our website athttp://asiapacific-odl.edu.my.
I wish you all a very productive workshop.
Sheldon Shaeffer
Director
UNESCO
Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education.
