Professor Patricia Arinto, of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), made a detailed presentation on “OER for Equitable and Quality Education for All in Asia.” She spoke specifically about the findings (as of 2012) from the OER Asia study. The OER Asia study was led by Professor Tan Sri Gajaraj Dhanarajan and Dr. Ishan Abeywardena. A book titled Open Educational Resources: An Asian Perspective, published by COL and OER Asia in 2013, contains 10 country reports on China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam, plus case studies of OER initiatives in Asia.

Professor Arinto also shared findings from the Research on Open Educational Resources for Development (ROER4D) project. The central project coordination team is based at the host institutions: the University of Cape Town and Wawasan Open University. Associate Professor Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams is the Principal Investigator, while Professor Arinto acts as the Deputy Principal Investigator. The project’s objective is to improve education policy, practice, and research in developing countries by better understanding the use and impact of OER.