Professor

East Carolina University, USA

Prof. Dr. Patricia Slagter van Tyron is a Professor in the Interdisciplinary Professions (IDP) at East Carolina University (USA), where she teaches fully online graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Education and Master of Science in Instructional Technology programs.

In Fall 2025, she undertook a research and teaching visit at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and the Center for Open Education Research (COER). The primary objectives of her visit were to explore strategies for enhancing internationalization for both students and institutions through active teaching and research collaborations. During her stay, she followed an intensive program, contributing to the teaching and research environment of the lab at multiple levels, initiating further collaboration opportunities, and engaging with the European research and administrative community through the following activities:

October 7: A welcome reception was held for Prof. Slagter van Tyron, hosted by Prof. Dr. Olaf Zawacki-Richter, attended by professors, research associates, and administrative colleagues from various departments to facilitate early networking. She also shared souvenirs from East Carolina University with students and staff and provided insights into the U.S. academic system and its programs, highlighting differences from the host country.

October 8–10: At the I-HE Innovation in Higher Education Conference, she represented the COER team as host of the Research Track. She chaired three sessions, including the keynote session, and evaluated presentations for potential publication in associated outlets.

October 8–10: During the same conference, she also presented findings from the ongoing study “Dimensions of Environmental Sustainability in ODDE – A Mapping Review.”

October 16: She participated in a strategy meeting with the “Learning Design” team at the Lifelong Learning Center (C3L). The team introduced their current practices, and Prof. Slagter van Tyron shared her experience developing a fully online course for a joint Master’s program at C3L. This exchange enabled discussion of emerging opportunities and challenges related to adult education, data protection, and ethics in Germany, in comparison with the United States.

October 15–25: She served as a guest lecturer in the Master’s program in Educational Sciences, contributing to the “Learning Design” and “International Research Perspectives” modules. Her lecture on Instructional Design generated strong student engagement, despite participation not being compulsory in the German higher education system.

Throughout October: Prof. Slagter van Tyron was actively involved in collaborative research on sustainability and Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE), further strengthening international research partnerships.

Professor

Ataturk University, Turkey

Prof. Dr. Engin Kurşun currently serves as the Vice Dean of Atatürk University’s Open Education Faculty, which offers educational opportunities to over 400,000 students. From October 1, 2023, to June 17, 2024, he undertook a nine-month research and teaching visit at the University of Oldenburg and the Center for Open Education Research (COER). The primary objectives of his visit were to explore strategies for Open Educational Practices (OEP) sustainability, observe their practical impacts, and expand his professional network within the field.

During his stay, Dr. Kurşun delivered undergraduate and graduate-level courses focused on OER and conducted in-depth research on OER sustainability. This visit provided him with valuable opportunities to deepen his understanding of sustainable OER practices, enhance professional collaborations, and gain insights into the implementation of innovative strategies for OER development. His visit was supported by funding from The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) 2219 program and the guest lectureship program at the University of Oldenburg.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Duhok Polytechnic University, Iraq

Karwan Al-Dosakee is currently the Director of Professional Development and Researcher at Duhok Polytechnic University, specializing in Educational Technologies with a particular emphasis on Digital Transformation and Assistive Technologies and HCI in Higher Education. During his visit to the University of Oldenburg and COER from November 18, 2024, to December 15, 2024, he aimed to collaborate on conducting a comparative study on research governance, and institutional excellence in the German higher education system and exchange expertise on OER policies as part of a DAAD German Academic Exchange Service funded project under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Olaf Zawacki-Richter.

During his stay, he engaged in intensive academic activities including data collection and conducting interviews with inspiring individuals at the University of Oldenburg for the proposed research project. This visit provided valuable opportunities for expanding his understanding of University of Excellence Clusters, Research Governance, Funding Models, Open Access, and strategies for achieving academic excellence. It also opened pathways for changeover to the research infrastructure and innovation at Duhok Polytechnic University and the other KRG public universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.