This post is by GO-GN OER25 scholarship awardee Alison D’Cruz (University of Toronto).
My first conference outside North America, my first OER conference as a presenter, my first presentation of research on the Global South, with so many firsts, I did not know what to expect. But as I prepared for my 8-hour flight across the Atlantic from Canada to London to participate in OER2025, almost prophetically, I knew I had opened a door to possibilities.
Held in the heart of London, OER2025 brought together educators, researchers, and practitioners from across the world to explore this year’s theme: “Speaking Truth to Power: Open Education and AI in the Age of Populism.” The conference began with a warm welcome and introduction by the co-chairs Dr. Louise Drumm and Sheila MacNeill, and powerful keynotes by Dr. Helen Beetham and Dr. Joe Wilson. The keynotes explored possibilities but more importantly cautioned against the challenges to open education in the age of AI populism. The parallel sessions covered a range of topics representing multiple and interdisciplinary perspectives. From sessions on ethical AI use to AI models for open education, the depth and breadth of the research presented was impressive. I particularly appreciated the practical approach of most of the research presented, which demonstrated how real-time projects work in an educational setting. The sessions on reimaging AI and assessments were very informative and provided me with several ideas to adopt in my teaching.
But it was not just the high-quality research that was impressive; true to its name, I cherished the level of openness that presenters and participants had in sharing their research, best practices, and challenges. Over the two days of the conference, I got to interact with an incredibly warm and welcoming community of researchers and practitioners who made me feel at home and part of the open education community.
The highlight for me was when I got the opportunity to present my research on Open Education Resources in Higher Education Institutions in India. Not only did I receive invaluable feedback but I was also encouraged to publish my work. I am grateful for the conversations with attendees on my topic and the additional resources shared by those who heard my presentation. These actions helped to reaffirm the value of my work and to motivate me to keep pursuing research in this area. As I departed London, I was filled with hope and excitement, ready to tackle the complexity of AI and openness for the betterment of all learners.
None of this would have been possible without the support of the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN). From helping with the logistics, to the warm welcome dinner to the encouraging emails and feedback, GO-GN seeks to empower doctoral students and promote openness in research. GO-GN provided me with a community within a community to discuss my thoughts and share my apprehensions while gently guiding me to pursue research that matters the most to me. In short, while I always believed in the ideals of open education, GO-GN helped open the door up for numerous possibilities for me to explore. I cannot wait to work towards a future of openness and inclusion.
Photo credits: Alison D’Cruz
