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.
