As we continue our journey through the vibrant landscape of OE4BW 2025, we now turn to the Education Hub—a space where global educators co-create open, inclusive, and impactful resources for the future of teaching and learning. With the rising demand for accessible, multilingual, and context-sensitive materials, the Education Hub is tackling some of the most pressing challenges in education: from fostering linguistic inclusivity and intercultural understanding to designing lifelong learning pathways and experimenting with AI-driven personalization. In 2025, four Education Hubs are collectively guiding 35 projects across regions, disciplines, and educational levels.
Education Hub 1, coordinator Subha Das Mollick
Education Hub 1, led by Subha Das Mollick, brings together nine projects with a strong focus on STEM education, teacher training, and intercultural communication. Subha highlights the challenges of supporting first-time OER developers while also celebrating milestones such as the hub’s first project in a vernacular language (Telugu) and new collaborations that span continents. She also notes a growing interest in experimenting with AI tools for personalized learning, though their integration is still in early stages. For Subha, the hub is not just about outputs—it’s about nurturing collaboration and building global perspectives into open education.
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Education Hub 2, coordinator Ajita Deshmukh
Education Hub 2, led by Ajita Deshmukh, is home to eleven projects ranging from intercultural MOOCs and multilingual communication courses for nurses to creative initiatives that transform ancient storytelling into comics, podcasts, and workbooks. Ajita notes that AI is now woven into nearly all projects, particularly in generating visuals and supplementary materials. Her hub also emphasizes regional languages such as Hindi and Marathi, as well as a strong focus on social-emotional learning and inclusivity. She is particularly proud of sustaining a strong community of practice—with zero dropouts in recent years and a pipeline of developers who often return as mentors or coordinators.
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Education Hub 3, coordinator Werner Westermann Juárez
Education Hub 3 oversees seven projects—most based in India, with one from Trinidad and Tobago. The common thread across these initiatives is lifelong learning. Projects range from academic goal-setting and self-directed learning strategies to innovative approaches to critical thinking and inclusive pedagogy. While most outputs take the form of short online courses hosted on Canvas, the coordinator emphasizes two recurring challenges: ensuring courses are interactive and engaging rather than text-heavy, and overcoming logistical hurdles like time-zone coordination and internet connectivity. Despite these obstacles, the hub has seen strong learner engagement, with some MOOCs attracting hundreds of participants within days of launch.
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Education Hub 4, coordinator Gino Fransman
The fourth Education Hub is led by Gino Fransman, who coordinates eight projects in 2025. His deep experience in open education and his long-standing role in OE4BW make him a cornerstone of the program. An interview with Gino will be published by the end of this year’s programme.
