Fred de Vries is a Digital Higher Education Expert
Fred has a long track-record in innovating Higher Education in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
He carved out his professional path at the Open University of the Netherlands, designing, researching and shaping innovations in Higher Education, with focus on adult learners, Technology Enhanced Learning, open and online education. He moved there from building the curriculum to R&D in European networks (EC) and policy and strategy for the institute and its network of distance learning universities in Europe (EADTU).
Initially out of curiosity, he worked besides the academic projects as a change agent on designing and implementing innovative education systems in different countries for international NGO’s like the UNHCR and UNESCO. Recently Fred helped a corporate philanthropy spreading online higher education in the Arab world and internationally oriented universities in a network to reach out to marginalized youth and refugees in Africa and the Middle East with specially designed learning solutions including workplace learning, peer-support and mobile technology.
Since the 4th quarter of 2020 Fred is leading the development of the new international strategy at the University of Twente (NL) with an outlook towards 2030.
Considering the scope of EMPOWER Fred can contribute in the following domains: International Education, Open & Flexible Education, OERs & MOOCs, Policy and Strategy development, Quality assurance, Blended Learning.
Together with Mark Brown Fred initiated the EOLLA