Keynotes by Dr. Alexander Khoroshilov, Officer-in-Charge of UNESCO IITE, Dr. Grainne Conole from the University of Bath Spa, Mr. Bodo Richter from the European Commission’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and Dr. Yves Punie from the EC Institute for Prospective Technological Studies gave the event a strong backbone upon which to base further exploration into the innovative fields of open learning.

These culminated in the International Community for Open Research and Education (ICORE) open plenary discussion on 13 May, during which a consensus was reached supporting a culture of sharing and the need for change in education through openness. Furthermore, participants painted open education as a desired concept embracing open educational practices and resources that requires a change of paradigms and strong vision, strategy, and patience. Feedback collected during the special conference events corroborated these conclusions.

Open Discovery Space (ODS) hosted a high-level preconference event regarding innovative school education on 11 May, a theme regarding which the project has collected huge international experience and reputation by involving more than 3,000 schools and 10,000 teachers. The event’s great level of attendance ensured that the project was able to distribute hard-won knowledge to education professionals from around the world. ODS has empowered stakeholders through a centralised access point for dispersed educational repositories.

Furthermore, its multilingual portal engages creators in the production of new learning resources. ODS has facilitated many seminars, summer schools, training academies, and events showcasing best practices, which also took place during the LINQ preconference event. This combination has demonstrated the potential of integrating technology in school education to promote innovation and track quality on an immense scale.

On 12 May, the pioneering Inspiring Science Education project (ISE) hosted a special conference event centred on their experience in technology-enhanced science education. Educators and other stakeholders from STEM fields and more joined them to profit from their capabilities and practical examples. ISE has established a multifaceted portal of tools and digital resources for integrating technology into STEM teaching. Their proven approach has enhanced and inspired teachers and students all over Europe to drive themselves to make their own scientific discoveries. ISE shared their success stories and helped interested educators inspire their own pupils and young scientists.