Open and Distance Learning (Pendidikan Tinggi Terbuka dan Jarak Jauh – PTJJ) with its online learning scheme as a main method is progressively in demand by high school fresh graduates pursuing a higher education. Numerous benefits offered through ODL are surely desired, including its flexible learning methods, affordable tuition fees, along national and international open and distance quality assurances.
With this situation, the enhancement of education quality service is inevitably a priority, so the implementation needs synergy and collaboration between institutions. To support that, five open and distance universities in Southeast Asia organized a regular meeting that is commonly known as the OU5 (Open University 5) Meeting. OU5 is a collaboration forum between five open and distance universities in Southeast Asia consisting of Universitas Terbuka (UT), Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU), University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Hanoi Open University (HOU), dan Open University Malaysia (OUM). Those universities committed to forming an organization purposing to collaborate in various research about distance learning. This organization organizes meetings regularly for research and development in various sectors.
In 2024, UT had an excellent opportunity to host the OU5 Meeting that would be organized on April 24-25, 2024, at Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta. A set of OU5 meeting events were started with the opening speech by Universitas Terbuka Rector, Prof. Ojat Darojat, M.Bus., Ph.D. as a host in OU5 Meeting. In his remark, Prof. Ojat said that OU5 has been going on for one decade as a platform illustrating the essence of sharing knowledge between academics and researchers. Moreover, Prof. Ojat also stated, “The OU5 Meeting has been appearing as a beacon of intellectual discourse, forming a dynamic, positive, and productive community, which is dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and innovation in the field of open and distance education sector.” Prof. Ojat also left a message that he hoped and motivated every involved party to participate actively, share the knowledge, and get involved in a discussion during the meeting because the collaborative efforts and experiences will push the boundaries of knowledge and form the future of academics.
In addition, the Vice-Rector for Finance and Administration of University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Dr. Jean A. Saludadez conveyed a similar statement related to the escalation number of their students in a post Covid-19 pandemic. He stated that their service improvement generates more interest in society to study using open and distance education methods than studying in a conventional university. “Before COVID-19, our students were only 5.000, but now there are 6.500 students from bachelor to doctoral degrees approximately.” Another similar statement is expressed by the President/Vice Chancellor of Open University Malaysia (OUM), Prof. Dr. Ahmad Izanee Awang that the open and distance university is increasingly recognized by society. The accessible learning concept is one of the reasons. “Distance learning opens access to education for everyone. They do not have to attend the class on a conventional campus, but they are still able to study even in a remote area,” he stated.
OU5 Researchers are a combination of five open university members in the Association of Open Universities (AAOU) which organizes a regular meeting twice a year. This regular meeting has developed a network and collaboration in institutional advancement and ASEAN study research with different topics every year. In the meeting for this year, they would discuss several agendas that would be implemented by 5 leaders from OU5 members, as follows:
Progress of 2024 Research Projects
Nomination of Project Leaders for the 2025 Research Project and Scheduling of the First Online Meeting
Setting Up a Common Repository Site for OU5 Outputs and Documents
AAOU Quality Assurance Framework
Benchmarking Instrument Testing Status
ICDE Global Advocacy Campaign Asia
Invitation to the Second ICDBSE Conference and ICDE Global Advocacy Campaign Asia Working Groups Meeting at STOU Thailand
Micro-credential
Schedule of the Next OU5 Meeting in the Philippines
Furthermore, the OU5 Researchers would discuss the enhancement of the research plan in 2024, focused on several topics, namely:
Inclusive Education: Providing Quality Education for All
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Digital Education
Promoting Sustainable Industrialization (SDG 9) in the ASEAN Region (Smart Manufacturing, Employability and Decent Work, Green Growth (SDG9) as the Selected Agenda)
Counselling Services at OUs to Promote Good Mental Health in ASEAN
Preserving ASEAN Culture in the Digital Age
Along with the OU5 Meeting, Universitas Terbuka and other ODL were committing to serve the international community to make an impact on the global community in a mission of introducing cultures.
This meeting became a remarkable platform to share knowledge and perspective, stimulating innovations, and promoting closer synergy and collaboration between leaders, and faculty members as well as the researchers of ODL under OU5 Meeting to advance the Open and Distance universities in Southeast Asia.
