This month, May 2020, the Educational Zone Development Program very proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary – a decade of dedicated service to advancing the quality of higher education worldwide. Even though this milestone marked such an important moment in our journey, it also coincided with an unprecedented global challenge: the COVID-19 pandemic. Our plans to hold a celebratory gathering at the iconic Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre had to be postponed due to the circuit breaker lockdowns implemented in Singapore to curb the spread of the virus.
How We Turned a Challenge into an Opportunity
Although we couldn’t meet in person, the spirit of EZDP remained undeterred. In true testament to our adaptability and commitment to innovation, we connected virtually with our paid members and certified schools through two Microsoft Teams calls. The meeting brought together leaders and educators from around the globe. We looked back at memories and got a chance to reflect on our achievements, discuss future initiatives, and reinforce our shared commitment to advancing educational excellence.
The event became an opportunity to explore how technology could enhance collaboration, even in the face of physical restrictions. Everything was surprisingly more effective than we expected. With the virus, we are going to be moving more toward online education and meetings, and we plan to move to a more remote-first approach here at EZDP.
A Decade of Progress
Since our establishment in 2010, EZDP has grown into a trusted partner for institutions around the world, promoting high standards and developing innovation in education. Over the past ten years, we’ve worked with universities, colleges, and professional training centers in diverse regions, helping them to achieve recognition for their commitment to quality and excellence. We offered more than SGD 500,000 in private non-repayable grants for educators in developing countries financed by accreditation fees and memberships – what a beautiful statistic!
Looking Ahead
As we move beyond our first decade, we remain focused on our mission to raise the standards of higher education worldwide. The lessons learned during this evolving period of uncertainty have reinforced the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and the use of technology to overcome challenges. These principles will continue to guide us as we move foward on the next phase of our journey.
We want to, as always, thank all our institutional partners, individual members, staff, and supporters for being part of this incredible milestone. While our 10th anniversary may not have been celebrated in person, it was a powerful reminder of the strength of the EZDP community and the shared vision that binds us together. Here’s to the next decade of advancing education, innovation, and global collaboration!