 Prof. Tam receiving the ICDE Prize of Excellence for Individuals at the opening ceremony of the Council’s World Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. |  The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) has awarded its Prize of Excellence for Individuals for 2001 to OUHK President Prof. Tam Sheung-wai. Prof. Tam is one of the two recipients of the annual prize, which is awarded for very significant contributions to the field.Speaking after the award, Prof. Tam said it was the result of the concerted efforts of people at the OUHK. ‘The award belongs to the OUHK rather than me personally. Everyone — staff, student, graduate or supporter — counts. I am really grateful to receive the award on behalf of the University,’ he said. Prof. Tam was commended for initiating numerous academic, research and technological breakthroughs at the OUHK despite the lack of government financing and promoting the development of open and distance learning throughout the Asia Pacific region, particularly in mainland China. He is now also President of the Asian Association of Open Universities and Vice-President of the ICDE for the Chinese Cultural and Linguistic Region. The ICDE is recognized by the United Nations as the global non-governmental organization responsible for the field of open and distance learning. The Council was founded in 1938 and now has representatives from 130 countries. |
