UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme

Progress report

 

 

 

Period of activity:  January 1st – December 31st, 2007

 

Title of the UNESCO Chair or Network: Global e-Learning with applications to multiple domains

 

Institution/Country: University of Tampere, Finland

 

Report established by: Tapio Varis

 

Function / Title: Professor and Chair, Vocational education with particular reference to global learning environments

 

 

To be sent by electronic mail to both: s.bahri@unesco.org and  i.nichanian@unesco.org

 

 

or to UNESCO, Division of Higher Education

7, place Fontenoy – 75352 Paris 07 SP

Fax: 33 1 45 68 56 26/27/28

 

Summary

(Not exceeding 300 words, outcomes/results/impact)

 

The activities of the Chair have been positively reflected by the encouraging responses to the concrete activities during the year 2007 by many cooperating institutions. The UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre awarded the Research Centre for Vocational Education in Hämeenlinna, Finland, where the Chair is located. The European Commission as well and individual Governments, industry, civil society and Universities have expressed their gratitude of the activities held in 2007. Special efforts have been made to develop the new renaissance education and build global cultural bridges together with artists. It is widely understood that the most important skills of the future will be communication skills.. Critical thinking skills are needed as a productive and positive activity. Critical thinkers see the future as open and malleable, not as closed and fixed. As noted in the UNESCO Report on Knowledge Societies (2005), there is a general agreement on the appropriateness of the expression “knowledge societies”; the same cannot be said of the content. However we define the 21st century societies there are some trends that seem to have consequences in all spheres of life. Globalization and digitalization have fundamental consequences in educational and learning life, working life and in governance. The vision is a society which develops and utilizes the opportunities inherent in the information society to improve the quality of life, knowledge, international competitiveness and interaction in an exemplary, versatile and sustainable way. These ideas have been used to develop the Global University System (GUS) within the UNESCO Chair in global e-learning at the University of Tampere. The Chair has emphasized media literacy because of the topicality and importance of media education as part of citizenship skills and the problems encountered in its realization. Another issue has been cultural dialogue and cooperation with the Alliance of Civilizations movement created by the United Nations.

 

I.       Address and Contact

 

 

 

 

Address of the

Host Institution

 

 

Address of the

Chairholder

(or coordinator)

Other contact person

 

Name  TapioVaris

Function/Title Professor and Chair, Vocational Education with particular reference to global learning environments

University/Institution University of Tampere

Faculty/Department/Centre Faculty of Education/ Research Centre for Vocational Education

P.O.Box 229, FIN-13101 Hameenlinna, Finland

Street

Postal Code FIN-13101 Hameenlinna, Finland

City Hameenlinna

Province

Country Finland

Phone +358 3 3551 3608

Fax +358 3 3551 3611

E-mail tapio.varis@uta.fi

Website of UNESCO Chair or  UNITWIN Network

Website of Host Institution

http://www.uta.fi/

http://www.uta.fi/~titava

http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Global_University/Global%20University%20System/Reference_web_sites.html

http://www.itu.int/wsis/goldenbook/search/display.asp?Quest=8032562&lang=en

 

 

 

University of Tampere,

P.O.Box 229

FIN-13101 Hameenlinna

Finland 

 

 University of Tampere,

P.O.Box 229

FIN-13101 Hameenlinna

Finland 

 

 

II.                 Available resources

For each type of resource placed at the disposal of the Chair/Network, please specify its source (cf. Annex 1)

 

 

1.         Human resources

 

Ų     Status of the Chair in the organizational structure of the Institution (number of posts contributing to the Chair): integrated in the full professorship

 

Ų     Number of academic staff (full time and part time), full professors, researchers, lecturers: one full time professor

 

Ų     Number of visiting staff: a few short term visitors

 

Ų     If there are other staff or groups contributing to the Chair or Network, please indicate their number and status (postgraduate students, advisors, consultants, experts, NGOs, etc): NGO Vice-President for Global University System (and network)

 

Ų     Number of administrative staff: integrated with regular administration

 

 

2.              Other resources

 

Financial contributions (indicate amount, source and purpose): full time professor salary for the coordinators basic work

UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre, specific contracts

European Union, Research and Expert work

 

            Material resources (indicate their nature and use): for specific purposes/projects

 

            Space placed at the disposal of the Chair or Network  University office room

 

To facilitate easy handily of data, for each type of resources listed above, please provide the amount whenever available or an estimate sum in US Dollars or Euros

 

 

III.     Activities

 

 (Please, provide short information for each activity)

 

1.      Academic activities

Education (leading to certification)

·       Title and expected results for each courses, workshop, etc.

 

Doctoral seminar and lecture course in master programme, University of Tampere, Finland

 

Course on Media Education, University of Tampere, Finland

 

Course on Global Changes in Society and Vocational Education, University of Tampere, Finland

 

Course on “Communication and Media Literacy,” Southern Federal University, Taganrog Institute of technology, Department of Linguistic Education, Russia,  September 16-23,  2006

 

 

 

·       Duration

·       Target groups (cf. Annex 2)

·       Geographical coverage for partners and participants (cf. Annex 3)

 

Training (short term)

·       Title and expected results for training activity

·       Duration

·       Target groups (cf. Annex 2)

·       Geographical coverage for partners and participants (cf. Annex 3)

 

Research

 

·       Title “Quantitative Policy Analysis of Global Socio-Economic-Energy-Environment Development (GSEEED)” <http://preview.tinyurl.com/337nrn>.

·       Duration Indefinite

·       Target groups (cf. Annex 2) High school, undergraduate, graduate students

·       Geographical coverage for partners and participants (cf. Annex 3) Japan, the US, China, Russia, and the other relevant countries.

·       Intended use of results

This project will construct Globally Distributed Socio-Economic-Environmental Simulation System through broadband Internet, which will have two-tier system:

 

a.      One for training young would-be decision makers in crisis management, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques basing on "facts and figures" and

b.      The other for helping decision makers construct a globally distributed decision-support system for positive sum/win-win alternatives to conflict and war.

 

2.             Conferences/ Meetings

·       Title for each conference, meeting organized by the Chair/Network

·       Dates and place

 

Varis:

 

E-learning goes social – policy becomes e-inclusive, Keynote presentation,  Freie Universitat, Berlin, Germany, January 25, 2007

 

South Africa – Finland Conference on Universities of Technology – Mission and Mandate Differentiation, Helsinki, Finland, February 19-22, 2007 (Section Chair)

 

        Interactive Technology in Education, ITK Conference in Hameenlinna, Finland, April 19th, 2007 (Keynote)

 

         Media Literacy Expert Group, European Commission Brussels, April 23, 2007 (Speaker)

 

         e-Learning in Europe, Leonardo Conference Keynote presentation, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 24, 2007

 

         How can users get access to knowledge on the Internet?  European Commission Conference “More Trust           in Content”, Leipzig, Germany, May 9-11. 2007 (Speaker)

 

         Finnish-Russian seminar on pedagogy, Petrozavodsk, Russia, May 27-31, 2007

        

         Media Literacy research seminar, University of Barcelona, Spain, September 5-8, 2007, (Co-chair)

 

“Communication and Media Literacy,” Southern Federal University, Taganrog Institute of technology, Department of Linguistic Education, Russia,  September 16-23,  2006 (Keynote)

 

         Towards implementing new quality management systems in merged institutions. Finnish-South African Conference, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, October 7-10, 2007

 

        Comunidades virtuales, puntos de encuentro, IV Congreso Internacional de EducaRed, Madrid, October 29-30, Spain (Keynote)

         Digital Literacy Expert Group, European Comission, Brussels November 22, 2007 (Speaker)

        Internacional Conference “e-Learning & e-Administración en la Sociedad del Conocimiento ”, Universidad de Complutense, Madrid, November 23, 2007

The Use of Technology in Learning, National Conference of Education, Board of Education, Helsinki, Finland November 29, 2007 (Keynote)

European Union e-Inclusion Ministerial Event, Lissbon, Portugal, December 3-4. 2007 (Speaker)

TEMPUS Project Jordanian-German-Finnish-Swedish working seminar, Bonn, Germany, December 12-13, 2007, Project participant

Media Literacy Expert Group, European Commission, Brussels, December 14, 2007 (Speaker)

       

 

Utsumi:

 

“Capacity Crisis for Service Delivery in Southern Africa: Opportunities for Stabilize Societies with Information & Communications Technologies,” Dr. Roland M. Msiska, Director, Southern African Capacity Initiative (SACI) <http://www.undp-saci.co.za/>, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Johannesburg, South Africa, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, January 25, 2007

 

Board of Directors Meeting of Project Globe Consortium for Continuing Professional Development (CPD), January 26, 2007, Basking Ridge, New Jersey

 

Seminar on “International Networks,” with Bjorn Wellenius, Telecommunications Adviser - The World Bank, Jaroslaw K. Ponder, Policy Analysist, Strategy and Policy Unit (SPU) of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and T. Utsumi, which was organized by Prof. Eli Noam, Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information at Columbia University on February 14, 2007

 

United Nations University seminar on Regional Centers of Expertise to Promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) - Progress in RCEs, in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium during the 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD15) in New York. May 7, 2007

 

Keynote speech ”Global Collaboration with Global University System” <http://preview.tinyurl.com/yspgq9> at The Cultural Bridges between Finland and Japan, University of Tampere, November 9, 2007

 

Lecture on ”Global University System” at Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia, November 12, 2007

 

 

·       Participants (number and geographical coverage)

 

3.             Interuniversity Exchanges/ Partnerships

(Please specify:

Name and institutions involved in the exchange and partnership, number of persons- staff and students received, staff and students sent on exchange)

 

4.      Publication and multimedia materials

(Please estimate costs of publications and expected revenues from their sale)

 

Varis, T:

 

Associate Editor of International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation (IJMLO)

 

Editorial Board member of  Digital Libraries: An International Journal, (TERI, India)

 

Editorial Board Member of The International Journal of Learning and Media, (University of London)

 

Finnische Hochschulpolitik. Innovationssysteme im globalen Wettbewerb 
- europäische Modelle und Reflektionen.
Diskussionpapier der Alexander 
von Humboldt-Stiftung 10/2007

 

How can users get access to knowledge on the Internet?  European Commission Conference “More Trust           in Content”, Leipzig, Germany, May 9-11. 2007, http://www.leipzig-eu2007.de

Finlandia: estrategia y destrezas comunicativas para la Sociedad del  Conocimiento.
TELOS,
julio-septiembre 2007

Global university in the knowledghe societies. Colloquium on Research  and Higher Education Policies, UNESCO, Paris 2006, 
www.unesco.org/education/researchforum

Ammatillinen kasvu - Professional Growth, Professori Pekka Ruohotien  juhlakirja. Toimittanut Seppo Saari ja Tapio Varis. Tampereen  yliopiston ammattikasvatuksen tutkimus- ja koulutuskeskusOkka-Säätiö 2007

"New technologies and innovation in higher education and regional development," in Monograph "Universities and Regional Development: the challenge in the era of the globalisation of higher education," Universitat
Oberta de Catalunya, ISSN 1698-580K
http://www.uoc.edu/rusc/4/2/dt/eng/varis.html

Current Trends and Approaches to Media Literacy in Europe (together  with Jose Manuel Perez Tornero, et al, Universitat Autonoma de  Barcelona 2007) 
http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/media_literacy/studies/index_en.htm

.

 

Utsumi:

 

Utsumi, T.
Synopsis of GLOSAS/USA Projects, November 2, 2007

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/yoebmy>

 

Utsumi, T.
“Globally Collaborative Peace Gaming with Global University System,” To be published in Journal of Organizational Transformation and Social Change, Liverpool John Moores University, The United Kingdom, October, 2007

<http://preview.tinyurl.com/29obgb>

 

Utsumi, T.

“Global E-Learning for Global Peace with Global University System,” Experiments in Education, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1, ISSN 0970-7490, January, 2006

http://www.experimentsineducation.150m.com

 

Utsumi, T.

"Global University System for Engineering Education in the Age of Globalization"; European Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 31, No.3, June 2006, Pages 339-348

http://tinyurl.com/wfkr6

 

Utsumi, T.

"Globally Collaborative Innovation Network with Global University System," Paper for Learning Technology, IEEE Computer Society, Vol. 8, Issue 3, July, 2006

http://tinyurl.com/fuwg6

 

Utsumi, T. (2005); "Global E-Learning for Global Peace with Global University System," Paper for the forthcoming publication "Communication and Learning in the Multicultural World," University of Tampere, Finland, (Edited by Pekka Ruohotie), to celebrate the 60th birthday of the GUS Acting President Tapio Varis in June 2006

http://tinyurl.com/nevvj

 

Publication

·         Book

Title:

 

Author(S)

 

Publisher(s)

 

Year

 

Language(s)

 

Number of pages

 

·         Periodical (periodicity)

·         Others (specify, please)

·         Teaching/learning material

Title:

 

Author(S)

 

Publisher(s)

 

Year

 

Language(s)

 

Number of pages

 

Multimedia material

 

CULTURAL BRIDGES 2007 - DAY
 - Cultural, Bussiness & Education in Multicultural World
 09.11.2007  Tampere Hall - University of Tampere
TAMPERE, FINLAND 

Producer and/or distributor (with address): Heikki Mäenpää, cultural bridges

 www.peda.net/veraja/culturalbridges 

Year: 2007

 

Teaching/learning material

 

Type of material:

·  Video                                                       

· CD ROM                                                   

· Visio conference: Multicultural event      

·  Other type of material                              

       (Please specify):_________________________

 

Duration:

 

Format:

 

Language(s):

 

Main keywords (4 or 5):

 

 

5.             Others

 

 

IV.   Outcomes

 

Please describe shortly (up to 500 words) the major outcomes of the Chair/Network with special reference to their impact on the human, social, economical and cultural development at local, national, regional or international level. Whenever applicable indicate the impact of activities on promoting gender equality, rural development, attaining the Millennium Development Goals, Education For All and Sustainable development etc.

 

The activities of the Chair have been positively reflected by the encouraging responses to the concrete activities during the year 2007 by many cooperating institutions. The UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre awarded the Research Centre for Vocational Education in Hämeenlinna, Finland, where the Chair is located. The European Commission as well and individual Governments, industry, civil society and Universities have expressed their gratitude of the activities held in 2007. improve the quality of life, knowledge, international competitiveness and interaction in an exemplary, versatile and sustainable way. These ideas have been used to develop the Global University System (GUS) within the UNESCO Chair in global e-learning at the University of Tampere. The Chair has emphasized media literacy because of the topicality and importance of media education as part of citizenship skills and the problems encountered in its realization. Another issue has been cultural dialogue and cooperation with the Alliance of Civilizations movement created by the United Nations.

 

 

 

V.               Forthcoming activities

 

 (Please outline the action plan for the current biennium)

 

(1)          Creation of GUS/Palestine/Gaza Strip and West Bank;
<http://tinyurl.com/25kl5n>

 

(2)          Creation of GUS/Egypt;
<http://tinyurl.com/3xenph>

 

(3)          Delivering a keynote speech at the "ICT-Learn 2007" conference in Cairo, Egypt, September 2 to 4, 2007

 

Al-Azab, M. and T. Utsumi, (2007), "Creation of Global University System in Egypt (GUS/Egypt),"
<http://tinyurl.com/389to9>

 

(4)          Creations of GUS in Siberia, Turkey, Romania, Mongolia, Rostov-on-Don in Russia, Croatia, Nicaragua, etc.

 

(5)          Higashiyama-theme Finnish-Japanese cultural event in November, 2007, in Tampere, Finland

 

(6)          UNESCO-UNEVOC research and training-projects in ICT and sustainable development

 

(7)          Lecture course in Taganrog State University of Radio Engineering, Russia

 

(8)          Digital library training in Pyongyang, D.P.R. of Korea

 

(9)          Regional universities project in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

 

(10)       Merging process of higher education and distance education, South Africa

 

(11)       Translations of some of following books into English and/or Japanese;

 

(i)         Oesch, K., “Virtuaalinen voimaantuminen
Tampere University Press (2007)
ISBN 978-951-44-7091-2 (nid.)
(Written in Finnish)
English Summary <Klaus Oesch Book Summary.pdf> <http://preview.tinyurl.com/2hyh7p>

(ii)        FENIX — Interactive Computing 2003-2007: Final Report
Tekes, Technology Programme Report 2/2007, Helsinki, ISBN 952-457-357-1
(Written in English)
Full report in pdf format <http://www.tekes.fi/eng/publications/FENIX_Interactive_Computing.pdf>

(iii)      Syrjanen, M., Nikula, J., Vehvilainen, I., Raivio, T., “Tietoyhteiskunnan uudet toimintatavat mahdollisuutena ja hassteena: FENIX – teknologiaohjelman arviointi”, ISBN 978-952-457-386-3
(Written in Finnish)
English Summary <Syrjanen Executive Summary.pdf> <
http://preview.tinyurl.com/ypm9sg>

 

(iv)       Kaisa Kautto-Koivula and Marita Huhtaniemi
RENGISTA ISANNAKSI” (In Finnish)
From Hiredman (slave?) to Master: Free from the leash of the Quartal Economy”
Introduction of the Book <Kaisa_book_summary.pdf> <http://preview.tinyurl.com/yq7hlt>

(v)        Kaisa Kautto-Koivula and Marita Huhtaniemi, Nokia Ventures Organization
"Evolution Towards Human-Centric Knowledge Society. Can Societies Learn from Global Corporations?"
<http://preview.tinyurl.com/y5ja49>

 

(vi)       Dahlman, C., J. Routti, P. Yla-Anttila
Finland as a Knowledge Economy: Elements of Scuccess and Lessons Learned
World Bank Institute (2006)
Overview in English <Finland as a Knowledge Economy copy.pdf> <http://preview.tinyurl.com/ysf5e6>

 

 

VI.             Development prospects

 

Action aimed at obtaining a stable permanent status of the Chair/Network in the structure of the Institution

 

Short and medium term: The UNESCO Chair has a permanent status in the Faculty of Education, University of Tampere. The Research Centre for Vocational Education was given the status of National UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre in 2006.

 

Long term: Institutionalizing the Global University System (GUS) and promoting UNESCO-UNEVOC training and research activities to become an international research and educational centre

 

Expanding activities

 

Broadening partnerships

 

(1)  Consummated Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York for the GSEEED Project mentioned above <http://tinyurl.com/yr7qbk> on May 17, 2007.

 

(2)  Consummated Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with University of Tampere, TOBB Economic and Technology University in Ankara, Turkey, and Global University System <http://tinyurl.com/yr7qbk> on November 9, 2007, for creating GUS/Turkey.

 

Mobilization of resources

 

Fund raising to be made in 2008:

 

(1)  For GUS/Turkey, i.e., e-learning courses available from University of Tampere and Helsinki University of Technology will be received by TOBB ETU students in Ankara, Turkey,

 

(2)  For GUS 10th Anniversary Workshop at the University of Tempere in August of 2009, which will institutionalize GUS activities,

 

(3)  For GSEEED project mentioned above, and

 

(4)  For book translations mentioned above.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex 2

 

Target groups

 (Please specify for each category number of male and female)

 

Target group

Male

Female

Total

Undergraduate students

 

 

 

Graduate students

 6

 10

 16

Postgraduate students

 6

 7

 13

Academics

 

 

 5

Public administrators

 

 

 200

Employees from industry or other private organizations (please, specify)(lectures for entrepreneurs)

 

 

 20

Teachers from primary education

 

 

 

Teachers from secondary education

 

 

 

Teachers from technical and vocational education

 

 

 100

Teachers from adult education

 

 

 20

Others groups (Please specify)(Keynote lectures in national ICT conferences for teachers)

 

 

 

 1500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex 3

 

Geographical Coverage

           

 

·         National                                                                                       ˙x (Finland)

 

·         Regional/Interregional/International                                           ˙x

Please specify countries and regions

 

Regions

Countries

Africa

Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc.

South Africa

Arab States

Egypt, Palestine

Asia/Pacific

China, India, Mongolia

Eastern and Central Europe

Russia, Siberia, Rostov-on-Don, Poland, Turkey, Croatia, Romania

Western Europe and North America

European Union, USA

Latin America and the Caribbean

Brazil, Nicaragua