Handbook of Open Universities Around the World

The Handbook of Open Universities Around the World is the first collection to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of open universities internationally. Over 80 open universities have been established across five continents to provide a distance-orientated, class-inclusive, and high-quality education for learners left behind by existing formal systems for higher and continuing education and lifelong learning. This mission has been continually reshaped by major developments in open education, learning technologies, and online social networking, as well as by the evolution of specific concerns such as the massification of education, employability, financial trends, artificial intelligence, and development agendas on the regional, national, and global levels.

This landmark volume analyzes and reflects on the planning, organization, management, pedagogic, skilling and employability, and accreditation dimensions of 47 open universities in relation to their national and institutional contexts, the internationalization of education, and the integration of advanced learning technologies. Featuring contributions by internationally recognized scholars, practitioners, and educational administrators, this authoritative resource provides insights into the business model—finances, operations, instructional systems, enrollment patterns, learner supports, quality assurance, professional development, and more—of today’s open universities. Through historical trajectories, institutional profiles, case studies, lessons learned, and best practices, this book provides rich analytical perspectives on the status and challenges of single-mode distance learning universities as an educational phenomenon while unpacking the premise of “openness” itself.

This Handbook is primarily written for

• planners, managers, administrators, instructional designers, and teaching faculty at single-mode distance teaching universities who are seeking to sustain their institutions in a period of rapid change;
• government policymakers, training organizations, technology providers, and education think tanks who are in need of authentic and research-based information on technology-enabled learning modeled by open universities around the world; and
• graduate students, teaching faculty, and scholars who are affiliated with online and distance education, learning design and technology, higher education planning and management, adult education and lifelong learning, and education policy and future studies.

Chapter 54 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

Watch a stimulating discussion between the book's volume editors and Sir John Daniel and Professor Stephen Murgatroyd on YouTube!

Introduction

Sanjaya Mishra and Santosh Panda

SECTION I: General Overviews

1 Futures of Open Universities

Sir John Daniel

2 Open Universities: An Uncertain Future?

Alan Tait

3 Innovation for Survival: Are the “Four-Open” Principles Still Relevant to Open Universities in the Twenty-First Century?

Junhong Xiao

4 Tracing the Legacy of Open Universities: The Evolution of Openness and the Continuous Transformation of Open Universities

Aras Bozkurt, Frank Senyo Loglo, Berrin Cefa, Engin Kursun, John Y. H. Bai, and Olaf Zawacki-Richter

SECTION II: Open Universities in the Africa and Arab Countries

5 Africa Regional Overview

Paul Prinsloo

6 Botswana Open University

Mmabaledi Seeletso and Bantu L. Morolong

7 National Open University of Nigeria

Christine Ofulue

8 Open University of Kenya

Ezra Maritim and Elijah Omwenga

9 Open University of Mauritius

Kaviraj Sharma Sukon

10 The Open University of Tanzania

Elifas Tozo Bisanda

11 University of South Africa 105

Moeketsi Letseka, Ramashego Mphahlele, and

Morakinyo Akintolu

12 Zimbabwe Open University

Gift Masengwe, Paul Henry Gundani, and Benson Gabi

13 The Open University of Israel

Sarah Guri-Rosenblit and Amir Winer

SECTION III: Open Universities in the Americas

14 Open Universities in the Americas

Stephen Murgatroyd

15 Athabasca University

Kathryn R. Johnson and Matthew L. Prineas

16 Universidade Aberta do Brasil

Weslei Oki de Aguiar and Simone Guimarães Guerra Gama

17 Universidad Estatal a Distancia

Diana Hernández Montoya and Ana María Sandoval Poveda

18 Université TÉLUQ

Gustavo Adolfo Angulo Mendoza Patrick Plante, and Caroline Brassard

SECTION IV: Open Universities in the Asian Countries

19 Open Universities in Asia: An Overview

Insung Jung

20 Open Is Open as It Gets

Som Naidu

21 Asia e University

Dato’ Ansary Ahmed

22 Bangladesh Open University

Mizanoor Rahman

23 Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University

Ghanta Chakrapani

24 Guangdong Open University

Chen Jingchun, Luo Hongwei, Chen Liangjun, Niu Liuwei,

and Zhu Minghai

25 Hanoi Open University

Dang Hai Dang

26 Ho Chi Minh City Open University

Ha Minh Nguyen, Lan Thi Xuan Nguyen, and Quan Thai Thuong Le

27 Indira Gandhi National Open University

Santosh Panda and Ved Prakash Rupam

28 Jiangsu Open University

Wen Tang and Xiangyang Zhang

29 Korea National Open University

Eun Kyung Lee

30 Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University

Ritimoni Bordoloi and Prasenjit Das

31 Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University

Sanjay Tiwari and Gopal Krishna Burra

32 Nepal Open University

Jeevan Khanal

33 Netaji Subhas Open University

Anirban Ghosh and Papiya Upadhyay

34 Open University Malaysia

Nantha Kumar Subramaniam, Santhi Raghavan, and Ahmad Izanee Awang

35 The Open University of China

Wang Xiangxu

36 The Open University of Japan

Tsuneo Yamada and Masaya Iwanaga

37 The Open University of Sri Lanka

Shironica P. Karunanayaka

38 Shanghai Open University

Jun Xiao, Tingting Zhang, Juan Li, Xinkui Cheng, and Wei Chen

39 Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

Sumalee Sungsri, Sarisak Soontornchai, Niranart Sansa, and Darunee Jumpatong

40 Tamil Nadu Open University

S. Balasubramanian and S. Savithri

41 Universitas Terbuka

Ojat Darojat and Fauzy Rahman Kosasih

42 University of the Philippines Open University

Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria

43 Uttarakhand Open University

Jeetendra Pande and Sumit Prasad

44 Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University

Devesh Ranjan Tripathi and Ashutosh Gupta

45 Wawasan Open University

Josephine Ie Lyn Chan, Dewi Amat Sapuan, and Lily Chan

46 Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University

Sanjeev A. Sonawane

SECTION V: Open Universities in the Europe

47 Open Universities: New Roles and New Opportunities for Innovation and Market Differentiation in Europe

Don Olcott, Jr.

48 Anadolu University

Aras Bozkurt

49 Fernuniversität in Hagen

Uwe Elsholz, Rahel Hutgens, and Desirée Kampmeier

50 Open University of Cyprus

Antonios Kafa

51 Open University of the Netherlands

Theo J. Bastiaens and Rob Martens

52 The Open University

Daniel Weinbren

53 Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)

José María Vázquez García-Peñuela, Rafael Puyol Antolín, Rubén González-Crespo, Daniel Burgos, Teresa Santa María, Adela López, María Gómez-Espinosa, Ignacio Hierro, and Pablo Moreno-Ger

54 Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

Inés Gil-Jaurena, Ángeles Sánchez-Elvira Paniagua, and Miguel Santamaría Lancho

55 Universidade Aberta

Diogo Casanova and Isabel Huet

56 Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Àngels Fitó-Bertrán and Albert Sangrà

SECTION VI: Concluding Overview

57 Open Universities: Quo Vadis?

Sanjaya Mishra and Santosh Panda

Sanjaya Mishra is one of the leading scholars in open, distance, and online learning, with extensive experience in teaching, staff development, research, policy development, innovation, and organizational development. With a multi-disciplinary background in education, information science, communication media, and learning and development, Dr. Mishra promotes the use of educational multimedia, e-learning, open educational resources, and open access to scientific information to increase access to quality education and lifelong learning for all. He has designed and developed award-winning online courses and platforms. Dr. Mishra has served the Indira Gandhi National Open University in New Delhi, India; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, France; the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia in New Delhi, India; and the Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver, Canada.

Santosh Panda is a National Fellow at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, Government of India. He recently retired as Director of the Staff Training and Research Institute of Distance Education (STRIDE) and the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre at Indira Gandhi National Open University, India. Professor Panda has above 40 years of experience in university teaching, research, and administration, including 37 years in open and distance learning at IGNOU. He has been a Fulbright Scholar; Chairperson of the National Council for Teacher Education (national regulator) for the Government of India; Director of Policy and Research at the Association of Indian Universities; and Director of Distance & Flexible Learning at The University of the South Pacific, Fiji. As an internationally recognized leader of ODL from the Global South, he has presented keynotes and workshops in over 30 countries and has consulted for ADB, COL, DfID, IDRC, SADC, UNESCO, and the World Bank.

"This is a most comprehensive coverage of the state of open universities world-wide at the present time. As well as many excellent overall and regional overviews, the book contains detailed analysis of 47 open universities from around the world [and] is essential reading for anyone with an interest in open learning and in increasing access to higher education."
—Tony Bates, President and CEO of Tony Bates Associates Ltd and Research Associate with Contact North, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network

"If you want a single-volume compendium that maps the field, identifies the big debates, and points to areas for future study and leadership attention, this handbook provides just that. Mishra and Panda have given the ODL community an influential resource:one that answers major empirical questions and —by raising harder ones —helps set the agenda for the next decade of research and practice in open higher education."

-Roberts, J. (2026). Book Review: Handbook of Open Universities Around the World. Journal of Learning for Development, 13(1), 205–208. https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v13i1.2836

"The Handbook of Open Universities Around the World, edited by Sanjaya Mishra and Santosh Panda, offers both a panoramic survey and a reflective critique of what openness truly means in higher education today. Drawing together insights from more than 100 scholars and practitioners, the editors have curated an extraordinary compilation that maps the histories, organizational structures, and innovations of 47 open universities across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The result is not only a celebration of institutional achievement but also an invitation to confront difficult questions about equity, sustainability, and the future of open learning."

-Belawati, T. (2026). Book Review: Handbook of Open Universities Around the World, edited by Sanjaya Mishra and Santosh Panda (Routledge, 2025). The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 27(1), 199–203. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v27i1.9358