This year's exciting range of expert keynote speakers includes Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission and Digital Agenda Commissioner, Douglas Thomas, author and professor at the University of Southern California, and John Bohannon, journalist for Science magazine and visiting researcher at Harvard University.

At ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2011, Neelie Kroes, the European Union's Digital Agenda Commissioner and a key supporter of open-source software, will provide details of European initiatives to encourage innovation in the ICT sector. One of the seven flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Digital Agenda for Europe, aims to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a single digital market based on fast internet and interoperable applications.

Nicknamed "Steely Neelie" for her tough approach as Competition Commissioner with large corporations like Microsoft, Kroes aims to deliver broadband for all European citizens by 2013.

Douglas Thomas is a leading expert in the development of online cultures, having authored and co-edited several influential books on computer hackers and new technologies. In his most recent work, "A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change", Thomas and his co-author John Seely Brown call for a fundamental reassessment of our learning models. He argues that knowledge is fluid and offers practical steps towards developing new learning cultures driven by imagination, innovation, and play.



John Bohannon's research projects and column for Science magazine have explored the impact of technological innovation on the processing and storing of information. In his current research, Bohannon is looking at how the Google effect is shaping new learning cultures. He is identifying examples of best practice in how teachers and education providers can manage our increasing reliance on online resources and networks.



Additional keynote speakers at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2011 include Miles Templeman, Honorary Fellow at Liverpool John Moores University and Director of the Institute of Directors; Peter Nowak, technology commentator and author of "Sex, Bombs and Burgers"; Ruth MartÌnez, Strategic Consultant in learning innovation at ELEARNING3D; and Huw Morris, Professor and Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Salford.