The EADTU was established in January 1987 by the principals of Europe's major distance teaching institutions to foster cooperation between European organizations dedicated to higher education through distant teaching methodology. Members of the Association are non-profit institutions or non-profit consortia embracing independent higher education/ teaching institutions and departments of universities/ institutions who are responsible for distance (teaching) courses and research on distance education. EADTU members are solidly based in national educational systems having their own students and legal graduation rights.
EADT U is comprised of 17 national members from 15 countries collectively providing distance education programmes to over 400,000 degree students and 250,000 vocational and continuing education students. The majority of students registered with EADTU members are adult learners in the 30-40 age range, and over 70% are in employment ; more than 5,000 academic staff are directly involved in the development and delivery of courses through over 875 study centres. Already EADTU membership includes 150 conventional universities utilising distance learning through dual mode infrastructures.
EADTU's interests focus on the strategic development of European higher level open distance learning. EADTU promotes higher level distance education in Europe, supporting contacts between the academic staff of participating universities and Europe-wide cooperation in the field of research, media methods and technology, course development as well as course and credit transfer.
EADTU participates in European projects and activities in collaboration with other major European level organizations. Many EADTU projects are supported by the Commission of the European Communities programmes e.g.. ERASMUS, COMETT, DELTA. EADTU maintains a commitment to the development of the European Open University Network and activities to implement that concept.
M. Lintz et S. Tognotti