Rome, July 2013 – ICORE founders and interested individuals met last March in Rome, Italy to discuss the establishment of the association, its publically available draft of statues, and future objectives within the topics of open research and open education. This discussion will be continued through a pair of online meetings open to all interested parties, taking place on July 30th, 2013 at 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM (UTC). Over forty participants from more than a dozen countries gathered in Rome to provide their professional experience, elaborating on the ICORE mission. Their diverse backgrounds, including computer science, information management, language learning, literature, physics, and quality management, brought a great deal of constructive and varied input to the meeting. Ultimately, however, participants were united in their support of ICORE and the potential the association has to develop and promote the largely neglected connection between open education and open research practices on an international level.

Prominent experts in the fields of open education and technology-enhanced learning were present to contribute to the formation of ICORE’s objectives and structure. UNESCO Open Educational Resources Chair Rory McGreal from the University of Athabasca in Canada emphasized the lack of communication between efforts in open research and open education, but also the necessity for a clear definition of the term “open” within the context of the association. Online and distance learning experts Dr. Tony Bates of Tony Bates Associates Ltd and Jay Cross of the Internet Time Group LLC confirmed McGreal’s concern for clear definitions upon which to base and differentiate the association’s efforts. They also expressed their concern for the motivation behind ICORE activities, as the non-profit association will not demand membership fees. ICORE co-founder Christian M. Stracke from the University of Duisburg-Essen addressed these concerns by asserting the great degree of individual gain through joining the association – ICORE’s focus on promoting and disseminating organizations, projects, and individuals active in the themes of open education and research, as well as efforts towards their interconnection, ensures that participation is beneficial both for the association and its separate members.

The discussion began during the first official, physical meeting will be continued through a series of virtual meetings, beginning on July 30th, 2013 at 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM UTC – to take part, please contact the association through the ICORE website at www.icore-online.org for further information. These meetings will be used to further expand upon potential ICORE activities, including the collection of case studies for digital resource repositories, a definition of ICORE’s basic terms and objectives, and the creation of a joint-report on the importance of open education and research. All interested participants and ICORE members are encouraged to attend these meetings to take part in the creation of an innovative association for the interconnection of open research and open education.

About the International Council for Open Research and Education:
A new association is bringing together interested experts and stakeholders from the fields of open education and open research – the International Council for Open Research and Education (ICORE - www.icore-online.org). ICORE is completely non-profit, requires no membership fees to join, and is open to both representatives of organizations as well as individuals. The complete first public draft ICORE’s statutes can be found at www.icore-online.org/membership and are open to further improvement by ICORE members.

ICORE offers membership to any organizations or individuals who support the association’s goals of promoting open research and open education as a fundamental social objective. This promotion is to be accomplished through the fostering of collaboration between relevant stakeholders in open research and education, such as national, European and international policy makers, researchers, educators of all levels, students, non-profit educational providers as well as commercial educational providers, among others. Activities to implement such goals include the administration of an online community portal for information exchange, the organization of scientific and educational events (e.g. conferences, summer schools, etc.), and the establishment of creative partnerships between ICORE members to advance open research and open education internationally. ICORE will be designed to make collaboration a rewarding experience for all members.

Joining ICORE is easy: interested applicants can visit the ICORE application website (http://www.icore-online.org/join-us) and enter their information. A representative of the ICORE management team will contact applicants as soon as possible after said information has been submitted.

Interested organizations and individuals are encouraged to spread the word the new association ICORE and its goals with colleagues and through dissemination channels – ICORE looks forward to your valuable involvement in this new and innovative association.

ICORE Contact:
Contact Person: Christian M. Stracke
Organization: University of Duisburg-Essen
Address: Universitaetsstr. 9 (ICB)
45141 Essen, GERMANY
Telephone: +49 (0)201-183-4410
E-Mail: christian.stracke@icb.uni-due.de