Why Universities Must Change: Meeting the Demands of a Knowledge-based Economy

About this Lecture

The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) is proud to be able to offer a public lecture by Dr Tony Bates (http://www.tonybates.ca/), who is visitingHong Kong to receive an honorary degree (Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa) from the University. Given the current state of higher education in Hong Kong , this public lecture is particularly timely. In his address, Dr Bates will focus on the educational needs of knowledge-based economies, the role of e-learning, and the transformational change needed in higher education.

A leading figure in the use of technology in higher education, Dr Bates is President and CEO of Tony Bates Associates Ltd, a private company specializing in consultancy and training in the planning and management of e-learning and distance education. He was Director of Distance Education and Technology in the Continuing Studies Division of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canadafrom 1995 to 2003, having spent the previous five years in a senior role at the Open Learning Agency of British Columbia. Prior to that, he was Professor of Educational Media Research at the British Open University, where he worked for 20 years as one of the founding members of staff. He has a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of London, England, and has been awarded honorary degrees by the Open University of Portugal (1995), Laurentian University, Canada (2001), and Athabasca University, Canada(2004).

Dr Bates is the author of eight books, including 'Managing Technological Change: Strategies for College and Universities Leaders', and (with Gary Poole) 'Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education', both published by Jossey-Bass. His research groups at the UKOU, OLA and UBC published over 350 papers in the area of distance education and the use of technology for teaching. He is on the editorial board of six journals specializing in distance education and educational technology. He has worked as a consultant in over 30 countries. Clients include the World Bank, OECD, national ministries of education, and several U.S. state higher education commissions.


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