The Standing Conference of Presidents of Open and Distance Learning Institutions (SCOP) of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) will be held in Hong Kong from 10 to 12 October this year.

The conference, to be hosted by the OUHK, will focus on three main themes. It will examine the resource and management implications for delivering courses via the Internet. The experience of institutional collaboration and the development of 'win-win' situations and models among collaborating institutions will also be shared. The last theme is the promotion of research among open and distance education institutions.

ICDE-SCOP is an international forum for inter-institutional cooperation, partnership building, networking, strategic development and capacity building. It enables participating institutions to strengthen their competitive advantages for the new global environment and marketplace in open learning and distance education. The SCOP is also the operational structure for developing ICDE initiatives and activities of an institutional and strategic nature.

Present at the meeting will be university presidents and vice-presidents of open learning and distance education institutions, heads and senior executives of other educational systems and high-level officials in governments and agencies responsible for national initiatives on open learning and distance education from all over the world. Senior executives from international business corporations, whose activities are important to the future of open learning and distance education, will also be present.

The event, to be held in the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, will commence with registration and a welcoming dinner cruise on 10 October and end with the conference banquet on 12 October. Participants will also have opportunities for sightseeing in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. Registration will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Deadline for the early bird discount on the registration fee is 31 July 1999. For enquiries, please contact Prof. Wong Tat-meng, Conference Secretary on 2768 6800 (phone) or 2789 1170 (fax), or email tmwong@ouhk.edu.hk.