Abed

The Brazilian Association for Distance Education - ABED, is a non-profit learned society, created in 1995 by a group of academics interested in distance education and new learning technologies, meant the development of open, flexible and distance learning.

Major objectives:
• Stimulate the practice and development of projects in distance education in all aspects;
• Incentive the practice of the highest quality in services for students, educators, institutions and companies that exploit the distance education;
• Give support to the "knowledge industry" seeking the reduction of inequalities caused by seclusion and by large distances from major urban centers;
• Promote the use of different medias to accomplish distance education;
• Foster the spirit of openness, creativity, innovation, credibility and experimentation in the practice of distance education.

The main scope of ABED includes institutions, companies, universities and people interested in discussing and deepening their knowledge on distance education. For this purpose, ABED organizes conferences, seminars, scientific meetings and courses dedicated to the methodization and promotion of knowledge in ODL.

ABED is member of the Brazilian Society for the Development of Science - SBPC and is affiliated to international institutions including the International Council for Open and Distance Education – ICDE and OCW OpenCourseWare Consortium.

ABED's web site publishes the "Brazilian Journal of Open and Distance Learning", a trilingual page dedicated to ODL researchers, with texts and work on ODL, events calendar, news clipping of major newspapers, links to ODL and addresses of distance learning courses. It is constantly updated, always focused on its associates and people who intend to get involved with this area of pedagogical knowledge (www.abed.org.br).

ABED is composed by the following categories of associates: Individual Members: individuals interested in promoting distance education as an instrument for the progress of democratic societies; Institutional Associates: legal entities interested in ABED's objectives; Honorary members: individuals or legal entities of remarkable knowledge, therefore distinguished by ABED; and Maintainers Members: legal bodies that significantly join forces in order to improve ABED's work.

The Association main focus is, therefore, the enhancement of shared knowledge in distance education and the belief that such educational mode is indeed a reality and an educational paradigm, adequate to face to the major changes of this Millennium.

ABED's headquarter is based in São Paulo city. The NRABED - Regional Sectors of ABED – are located in several states of Brazil to assure the national representation of the association and allow a wide coverage of its activities.

President:
Fredric Michael Litto

Vice-President:
Vani Moreira Kenski - USP

Director of Free Theme (hemeritus director): Cristiana Mattos Assumpção - Colégio Bandeirantes
Director of Free Theme: Edimilson Picler – Grupo Internacional UNINTER
Director of Administration and Finances: Rita Maria de Lino Tarcia - Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP
Director of Scientific Development: João Augusto Mattar Neto - Universidade Anhembi Morumbi
Director of International Relations: Stavros Panagiotis Xanthopoylos – FGV
Director of Ethics and Quality: Luciano Sathler Rosa Guimarães – Universidade Metodista
Director of National Relations: Carlos Roberto Juliano Longo - Grupo Positivo
Director of Relations with Public Sectors: Mauro Cavalcante Pequeno - Universidade Federal do Ceará - UFC
Director of Relations with Corporate Sector: Luciano Sathler Rosa Guimarães – Universidade Metodista - METODISTA
Director of Relations with Productive Areas: Margarete Lazzaris Kleis – Delínea Educacional

Scientific Council
President: Waldomiro Pelágio Diniz de Carvalho Loyolla [UNIVESP/FMU]. Members: Alessandro Marco Rosini [Faculdade Flamingo - Faculdades Metropolitanas Unidas - FMU - Universidade de São Paulo - FEA - USP ]; Angela Maria Pizzo [Universidade Paulista – UNIP]; Carlos Eduardo Bielschowsky [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - CEDERJ/RJ]; Dilermando Piva Jr. [Centro Estadual de Educação Tecnológica Paula Souza – FATEC SP]; Eliane Schlemmer [Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos – UNISINOS]; Fernando José Spanhol [ Universidade do Tocantins – UNITINS]; Francisco Botelho [Universidade Católica de Brasília – UCB]; Gilda Helena Bernardino de Campos [Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro - PUC Rio]; Herbert Gomes Martins [Universidade do Grande Rio]; Janae Gonçalves Martins [Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia - UFRA]; José Dutra de Oliveira Neto [ Universidade de São Paulo - USP]; José Manuel Moran Costas [Universidade Anhanguera - UNIDERP]; Júlio Wilson Ribeiro [Universidade Federal do Ceará – UFC]; Melita Hickel [ UNIBIZ]; Rita de Cassia Borges de Magalhães Amaral [Faculdade São José]; Ymiracy Nascimento de Souza Polak [Universidade Federal do Paraná]

Ethic Council
João Vianney Valle Santos; Léa Depresbiteris [Associação Brasileira de Educação a Distância – ABED]; Luci Ferraz de Mello [Hughes]; Maria Beatriz Ribeiro de Oliveira Gonçalves [Autonomous Consultant]; Marta de Campos Maia [Fundação Getúlio Vargas - FGV]; Paulo Ricardo Torres Diniz [UNOPAR - Universidade Norte do Paraná]; Paulo Roberto Melo de Castro Nogueira [Faculdade Integrada da Grande Fortaleza – FGF]; Renato Bulcão de Moraes [ Universidade Paulista – UNIP]; Roberto De Fino Bentes [Sciere Tecnologia Educacional]; Zélia Ribas Varajão Teixeira Soares [Centro de Integração Empresa Escola – CIEE]

Controlling Board
Ari Antonio Rocha [Autonomous Consultant]; Arlette Azevedo de Paula Guibert [Associação Brasileira de Educação a Distância – ABED]; Consuelo Teresa Fernandez [Associação Brasileira de Educação a Distância – ABED]; Ivete Palange [Associação Brasileira de Educação a Distância – ABED]; Luciano Gamez [Abril Educação]; Rosa Maria Simone [Centro de Integração Empresa Escola – CIEE]

Quality Council
Andre Gomes Genesini [Educamos Online]; Cassio Cabral Santos [UNEPI]; Demerval Guilarducci Bruzzi [Instituto de Educação Superior de Brasília - IESB]; Elaine Cristina Palhares Guarisi [Instituto Monitor]; Giancarlo Colombo [Associação Brasileira de Educação a Distância – ABED]; Gley Fabiano Cardoso Xavier [ Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Comercial – SENAC SP]; Izilda Maria Nardocci [Escola Superior do Ministério Público de São Paulo - ESMP]; Jucimara Roesler [Universidade Veiga de Almeida – UVA]; Mara Yáskara Nogueira Paiva Cardoso [Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba – UNIMEP]; Ricardo Santos Lima [Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial-SENAI BA]