TM
APPENDIX VI
Synopsis of Global University System (GUS)
TM
Synopsis
of Global University System July 12, 2001
The dawn of
the twenty-first century comes with a digital revolution and economic
globalization with a New Economy. We are moving towards a global knowledge society where information,
skills, and competence become the driving forces of social and economic
development. Effective learning
can be greatly facilitated by upgraded multimedia educational materials using
broadband Internet applications. The use of these applications for global e learning and
telehealth/telemedicine must be efficient and cost-effective, enabling
educational institutions to foster global citizenship and achieve "education
and healthcare for all" at anytime, anywhere and at any pace. The Internet will be the main
telecommunication media of tomorrow. Broadband Internet holds great promise for improving multimedia e-learning and telehealthcare capabilities in global scale, especially in rural and isolated areas that are not well served by commercial network providers.
The Global University System (GUS) was formed during our highly successful International Workshop and Conference on "Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning" held in August, 1999 at the University of Tampere in Finland, with financial supports from the World Bank, the US National Science Foundation, Finnish Ministry of Education, etc..
The goal of
the GUS is to improve the global learning and wellness environment for people
in the global knowledge society where the global responsibility is shared by
all. A central theme is the
sharing and exchange of knowledge among educational, research, industry and
trade sectors. The GUS will (1) seek open, egalitarian and culturally transparent methods to achieve improved learning and healthcare worldwide, cooperating closely with people around the world, (2) harness the emerging technologies of broadband Internet connectivity among institutions of higher learning in developing countries to provide learners of all ages with global e-learning across national and cultural boundaries, (3) nurture the intellectual development of youngsters around the world through creative competition for excellence with affordable and accessible broadband Internet, (4) coordinate and facilitate national and international regional systems which will support and complement the traditional institutions of learning and healthcare, by using conventional methods in tandem with advanced electronic media.
The GUS has
group activities in the major regions of the globe, i.e., Asia-Pacific, North,
Central and South Americas, Europe and Africa to establish pilot projects. Each of these regional groups, with partnerships of higher learning and healthcare institutions, will foster the establishment of GUS in their respective regions, with the use of an advanced global broadband Internet virtual private network which to be financed by the Global Service Trust Fund (GSTF).
The officers
of the GUS are: P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D., Acting President, (University of
Tampere, former rector of the United Nations University of Peace in Costa
Rica); Marco Antonio Dias, T.C.D., Vice President for Administration, (former
director of Higher Education of UNESCO); Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., Vice President
for Technology and Coordination, (Chairman of GLOSAS/USA). The trustee members are: Dr. Pekka
Tarjanne, (former Director-General of the ITU) and Dr. Federico Mayor,
(President of the Foundation for Culture of Peace and a former Director-General
of the UNESCO). The special
advisors are: David A. Johnson, Ph.D., (Professor Emeritus, University of
Tennessee) and Fredric Michael Litto, Ph.D., (President of the Brazilian
Association of Distance Education at the University of Sao Paulo).
Secretariat, Emerging GLOBAL UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (GUS) CONSORTIUM
Chairman: Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D.; Vice Chairman: Louis Padulo, Ph.D.;
Board Members: David Johnson, Ph.D., Peter Knight, Ph.D., Joseph Pelton, Ph.D., Tapio Varis, Ph.D.;
Secretary: Ben Haraguchi, J.D.; Treasurer: Hisae Utsumi