Global University System in Ukraine
Prepared by
Ihor Bogdan Katerniak, Ph.D.
Lviv Institute of Management
Lviv, Ukraine
ik@uar.net
CONTENTS
1. Problems
2. Opportunities
3. Goals
4. Directions
4.1 Education:
4.2 Knowledge Transfer and Business Development:
4.3 Health Care and Telemedicine:
4.4 Culture and Tourism:
5. Proposed Activities
6. Plans for Sustainability
7. International Workshop and Conference on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning-2001, Ukraine
8. Anticipated Outcome
9. Full-Workshop in Shefield, UK by Open University/UK
10. Workshop in Lviv, Ukraine in September, 2001
The problem is a serious and widespread lack of awareness of market oriented approaches by Ukrainian professionals, which partially explains the slowness of change of the economic system in the Ukraine. In this activity, we have an opportunity to begin to solve that problem. Our proposed solution involves a new and different approach to business education, using distance learning through the Internet, to provide wider and cheaper access, more rapidly and efficiently, to usable knowledge. We shall use our approach to help to train a core group of business people, which will guarantee the promotion of marketing reform in Ukraine and the NIS. We shall evaluate our approach, particularly as the basis for a sustained, countrywide Ukrainian system for distance learning through the Internet.
To explain this further, the problem is becoming acute, on the verge of the new millennium, since processes of economic globalization are developing rapidly and are closely connected with science-consuming high-tech production, knowledge transfer, advanced management and the development of modern telecommunication and information technologies. Today the fields of education and medicine lag seriously behind other areas in the use of new technology and telecommunications, even though the emerging global information society will be dependent on knowledgeable consumers.
Digitalization and the growing use of computers are creating new forms of illiteracy and poverty resulting in unprecedented discrimination between countries and groups equipped to enter modern information and knowledge society and those who are not. Emerging electronic distance learning offers many advantages for the project's participants and the world as a whole. Promoting distance learning and tele-medicine allows for the exchange of ideas, values and knowledge throughout the world. It opens areas of communication and cooperation previously unrealized, contributing to world peace. The individuals whom we help educate today will be our leaders tomorrow.
The scientific and technological potential in Ukraine and other NIS countries, the great number of well-educated and talented personnel, the capacity of developing countries' markets and the unique opportunities for the introduction of investment projects requires intensive use of telecommunication technologies.
This is important for the development of international partnerships both in science and in business, as well as in cultural understanding, and exchange (including tourism). The priorities in research and development are aircraft and rocket construction, biotechnology and medicine, information technologies and new materials. Big international projects such as Sea Launch have successfully demonstrated the value of those technologies. Nevertheless, there are many R&D results that are still not commercialized due to the lack of information and experience in business.
The market of modern technology is developing now but there are only a few Ukrainian professional consulting groups experienced in technology commercialization fields, and they are concentrated in densely populated centers such as Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv. There is also the need for a sustained, countrywide Ukrainian system for technology commercialization, distance learning and consulting on the information base of Internet technologies, which is necessary both for scientists and for entrepreneurs in technology-oriented businesses.
The slow change of economic systems in the NIS is partially explained by a lack of professionals with market oriented thinking. But in most cases business education is not available for talented people in Ukraine and the NIS countries because it is too expensive and there are no existing credit mechanisms. A new and different approach to business education will help to train the necessary initial number of business people, which will guarantee the promotion of the marketing reform in Ukraine and the NIS.
Right now there is a possibility of implementing the Ukrainian Project by using the UARNet existing channels of satellite connection with the overall capacity of 1.512 Kbps (Nordudent/Stockholm). However, this connection is too overloaded today and is not fast enough to be used in telemedicine. The development of educational, business and cultural activities together with the TeleMedicine will make it possible to share substantial expenses. For instance, real-time transfer of X-ray photographs with high resolution (600-1200dpi) requires broad-band Internet via digital satellite channels, which is too expensive.
Business, Medical, and Telecommunication Coalition/Ukraine:
The Business, Medical, and Telecommunication Coalition/Ukraine (BMTC/UA) was created in 1998 by the initiative of Dr. Takeshi Utsumi (Chairman of the GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A., President of Global University in the U.S.A.), and Dr. Ihor Katernyak (Director of the Technology Promotion Center (PTC) of Lviv Institute of Management (LIM), Ukraine).
Today the Coalition unites representatives from universities, business and medical schools, hospitals, specialized secondary schools, entrepreneurs and technical experts in telecommunications from various regions of Ukraine as well as representatives of the highest authorities and international donor's programs.
The mission of "BMTC/UA" is to promote the ideas related to the use of broadband technologies for distance learning, knowledge transfer and collaboration through the international partnership in business and medicine.
The main tasks of the Coalition are:
The local network and management infrastructure, and technological base, will be provided by the Technology Promotion Center (TPC), which was created in April 1996 through the partnership of Philadelphia University City Science Center (UCSC) and Lviv Institute of Management for the promotion of new technologies in the following systems:
TPC assists universities, schools and businesses to use multimedia, telecommunications, and networking technologies to enhance their programs and services.
The first actual step of Ukraine entering the International Coalition for Global Information Infrastructure (GII) in Education and Health Care was the participation and presentation of BMTC/UA (Dr. I. Katerniak with technical assistance from Dr. A. Saban) "Global Lecture Hall (GLH)" videoconference on NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DISTANCE EDUCATION from Manaus, Amazona, Brazil (October 21, 1998) and Emerging Electronic Distance Education (EEDE) in Ukrainian Interactive Workshops and Demonstrations in Lviv, Ukraine (October 22, 1998). There was a face-to-face meeting for discussion with people from various regions of Ukraine who can benefit most from our next step of development (the web-site is located at http://www.uar.net/conference/). It was an extraordinary historical event with panelists located from Tokyo, Japan to Lviv, Ukraine, spanning almost 18 time zones. BMTC/UA's participation in the Internet Active Conference has attracted great interest on the part of business circles in the U.S.A., UK, Spain, Italy and Germany in adjusting partnership relations in distance learning development.
At the International Conference on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning ’99 (Tampere, Finland, August 9-13, 1999), TPC’s successful presented the Concept of the Distance Learning Development in Ukraine. The decision was then made to expand GUS in Ukraine as the first targeted country of the European Group of GUS. Its European working group with the Open University/UK, Temper University/Finland and others was formed for the distance learning pilot project development in Ukraine within the GUS framework.
The International conference on "Topical Questions of Innovation Activity Development in the States with Transitional Economy" (Alushta, Ukraine, September 14-18, 1999) supported and confirmed this initiative to extend electronic distance learning in Ukraine at the level of secondary and higher education, and in staff retraining systems. Resources of five leading business schools (LIM, IMI-Kyiv, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv Financial Institute and Dnipropetrovsk Business School) known as the "L'viv Initiative" are used as a base. Geographically they cover Ukraine from east to west. The business school of Jagellonian University (Krakow, Poland), Lublin Business School (Poland), CEU (Budapest, Hungary) and Economic University (Prague, Czech) will represent Central Europe. The important role of supervising will be up to the American universities that are currently members of GUS. All American universities have well-developed systems for distance learning and will play the role of technical and methodological tutors. The telecommunication industry of the CEE countries will be evaluated jointly in relation to instructional delivery.
Partners to help LIM disseminate the information and coursework will be brought in through the Partnership for Distance Learning Development (PDLD). The Partnership was organized by LIM in 1998 with three members and now has 26 organizations; each is interested in distance learning. It includes 6 universities, 9 business schools, 8 business support centers, 1 bank, 1 ISP, and 2 leading research institutes of National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine (Y.Paton Electric Welding Institute and Institute of Monocrystals). They come from all over Ukraine: Odesa, Dnipropertovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizzya, Mykolayiv, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv. These organizations and key faculty have agreed to work together to develop and strengthen the distance learning system of Ukraine.
Hence, today many talented Ukrainian specialists are experienced in Computer-Mediated Multimedia Systems (CMMS) [e.g., ShareVision, NetMeeting, etc.] through telecom media [e.g., TCP/IP-oriented Internet, etc.] and we have established international relations which ensure practical implementation of broadband technologies for expanding distance learning in Ukraine through GUS.
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Development opportunities that become possible are:
The Goals of Electronic Distance Education Development in Ukraine and NIS are to:
The main directions of activities are:
A purpose of this project is to explore the educational potential of the Internet in Ukraine. Traditional and formal methods of higher education have much merit, but there are many limitations as well. Our hypothesis is that the Internet enables a different kind of learning - more interactive, less exclusive, less expensive, more flexible, and perhaps more creative and fun. In the conditions of economic reform in Ukraine, the specialties related to professional development and establishing close international partnerships are in greatest demand, such as management of organizations, medicine and engineering. But in most cases business education is not available for talented people in Ukraine and the NIS countries because it is too expensive and there are no existing credit mechanisms.
Virtual Business School (VBS)
The economic situation in the region and the level of business education development are the rationale for the creation of the global educational system (virtual business school - VBS). The reasons are:
The project is based on an existing network of business schools in the CEE. Resources of five leading business schools (LIM, IMI-Kyiv, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv Financial Institute and Dnipropetrovsk Business School) known as the "L'viv Initiative" will be used as a base for VBS. Geographically they cover Ukraine from east to west. The business school of Jagellonian University (Krakow, Poland), Lublin Business School (Poland), CEU (Budapest, Hungary) and Economic University (Prague, Czech) will represent Central Europe.
Through cooperation by the group of the five institutes, joint curriculum and teaching materials will be developed. Each school will contribute from the strongest parts of its program.
The important role of supervising will be up to the American universities that are currently cooperating with LIM and IMI - Wayne State University and Carnegie-Mellon University. Both American schools have well-developed systems for distance learning and will play the role of technical and methodological tutors. The telecommunication industry of the CEE countries will be evaluated jointly in relation to instructional delivery.
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There is the need for a sustained, countrywide Ukrainian system for technology commercialization, distance learning and consulting on the information base of Internet technologies which are necessary as for scientists as for entrepreneurs from technology oriented businesses. Closer integration of the scientific and business communities and the development of technology-based small businesses result in the need for additional business knowledge for companies in Ukraine's transitional economy.
The question is how international knowledge and experience can be successfully applied in Ukrainian legal and economic environment. Business Incubation adapted to Ukrainian conditions is successfully operating in Kyiv and Kharkiv in the framework of the Business Incubator Development Program (BID/USAID) (http://www.itri.loyola.edu/BID/) and is expanding its activities to other cities. Availability of teleconference and web-based learning technologies, and well-developed information networks can assist in establishing partnerships and in business growth in Ukraine, and may become the foundation for the development of such projects as Cyber Business Incubator (distance-learning and consulting, information support and electronic commerce) in partnership with BID. The Cyber Business Incubator can extend its development to the hinterlands.
BID manager staff presented the Cyber Business Incubator concepts at the 13th International Conference of the National Business Incubator Association (NBIA) in Chicago, USA on March 22, 1999 and to the UN Economic Commission for Europe in Geneva, Switzerland on June 3-6,1999.
Tele-conferencing technologies will permit clients to organize conferences involving venture capital, multimedia meetings of shareholders, which are of special interest in Ukraine today during the processes of privatization and post-privatizational management.
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This direction of the Coalition's activities is guided by the regional office of American International Health Alliance at L'viv Institute of Management, L'viv Regional Clinical Hospital, L'viv Railway Clinical Hospital, the Specialized Secondary School for children with heart diseases, L'viv Medical University, Galytska (regional) Psychiatric Association, and the Association of Private Medicine, which has its departments in all regions of Ukraine. Two modern centers of women's healthcare which provide breast cancer screening (mammogram), and neonatology services have begun providing service. The expansion and broadening of the activity in neonatology in other cities of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odessa, and Donetsk) has been planned.
Accumulated experience and established contacts in the sphere of healthcare could and should be used and disseminated in Ukraine through the system of electronic distance learning (Interactive Medical Workshops and Conferences) and telemedicine.
The healthcare activity has been mainly focused on medical diagnosis, consulting, data transfer (e.g., EKGs, X-rays, heart sounds) and some medical education programs. Today telemedicine can apply telecommunications and medical technologies to support information exchange between a physician and a patient or between two physicians in geographically separated locations and to facilitate the exchange of information for medical, healthcare, research and educational purposes.
The Internet enables us to practice telemedicine and it can be of equal potential value for more developed and newly developing economies. The growth of Internet access and use now means that patients, medical professionals and organizations can jointly benefit from the available information and support.
The Internet can be used for:
Immediate access to medical databases healthcare institutions in Ukraine can use computer systems to store their medical records and databases electronically. Doctors can retrieve information about their patients when it is necessary, print out prescriptions to their patients and keep their electronic records.
Tele-consultation and training:
The telemedicine network will offer an opportunity for consulting between doctors and other medical professionals in health care (via telephone, email, videoconferencing, etc.). Distance learning can also involve a small rural hospital, whose doctors/nurses are able to "attend" consultations conducted by a professor at a larger teaching hospital (special and important for Trans-Carpathian region of Ukraine).
Telemedicine services are able to offer an opportunity for training and education. It is also apparent for us that an efficient and effective healthcare infrastructure requires not only access to expertise, but it should also provide healthcare professionals and the public with medical training programs focused on prevention of illnesses, hygiene, and other basic requirements for a physically healthy society.
Although much of the more sophisticated technologies such as virtual reality are still expensive, the cost of some technologies is dropping, so that telemedicine will become more affordable to more people, regions and countries than ever before.
In the present critical conditions of economic transformation and budget deficit, we have identified the necessity to develop managerial skills in the system of healthcare and its reformation. L'viv Institute of Management arranges seminars and workshops for managers and doctors of medical institutions in Health Care Management, Privatization in accordance with the acting legislation and exchange of experience on the regular basis.
Telemedicine has many social and economic benefits; it can generate new sources of revenues for service providers and equipment suppliers and can optimize the use of available human and capital resources in Ukraine. Such applications as telemedicine should be of interest to telecommunications operators since they generate additional traffic over existing networks and offer the opportunity to extend limited networks.
The impact of telemedicine on health care structures in Ukraine can be significant. It also raises regulatory issues concerning legality, liability, confidentiality, competition, etc.
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Ukraine is approaching the top 20 most visited countries in the world. In spite of the complicated economic situation Ukraine finds itself in, the tourism sector reported a profit in 1998, returning Hr 3.2bn to the state budget (according to State Tourism Committee, Feb. 17, 1999). L'viv is a city of outstanding monuments of architecture and works of art.
Last year (1998) the ensemble of the historical center of L'viv was inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Cities. A great number of foreigners are eager to visit L'viv (both for business and pleasure) and it is essential for them to better know the city facilities. Virtual City-L'viv Project may be of great help for them in finding all necessary information and in giving the general vision of the city. So, using the up-to-date possibilities of information technologies we can start implementing the "Virtual City-L'viv" Project with 3 dimensional (3D) rotating image of glittering cathedrals, picture galleries, museums, the opera theater, hotels, restaurants, business centers, etc. The web can be made in HTML and VRML techniques and therefore being available worldwide via the Internet.
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All proposed activities in the framework of the current Project will help meet project’s goal and objectives.
One of the purposes of the planned mini-workshop at Open University/UK is to formalize the draft of the pilot project proposal of the European Group for partnership's sustainability. The result of this joint pilot project will be the GUS in Ukraine, whose goal is to spearhead the linkage of existing distance education networks for establishing equal access to education in Ukraine, NIS, between them and the counterparts in Western (Finland, the U.K), Central (Poland, Hungary and Czech), Eastern Europe (Ukraine and other NIS) and in the U.S, by using conventional methods in tandem with advanced electronic media.
The purpose of the Global University System in Ukraine is to collaborate with people in Ukraine to identify and assess their needs for education, professional development, technical training, and to learn how technology can be used in creating a knowledge-sharing network to meet those needs. The GUS in Ukraine will promote sustained international cooperation, capacity building, and an inter-cultural foundation for the education through the electronic sharing and exchange of information.
For accomplishing this vision, the GUS in Ukraine will build up on progress that has already been made in order to:
This project will develop distance learning partnerships in the framework of the GUS with the goals to join efforts and resources for distance learning promotion in NIS and fund-raising.
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7. International Workshop and Conference on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning 2001, Ukraine
For promoting distance learning, tele-healthcare and tele-medicine in Ukraine and the NIS, we propose the organization of a conference and demonstration workshop on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning-in May 2001 in Ukraine. During the workshop we will present existing low-cost teleconferencing technologies, fully functional, all-HTML web course delivery platforms and advanced web-teaching materials. The goals of the conference will be to introduce the GUS, to discuss the role of telecommunications in the global information society and to promote in Ukraine and the NIS the role of broadband Internet technologies in the future of global tele-learning.
We plan to have a small workshop at Open University to prepare for this workshop/conference in 2001, and if possible, to construct more detailed plan for Europe Group, e.g., feasibility study, design of infra- and administrative structure, selection of coursewares, etc. Expected results: (a) Outline of programs of the workshop/conference in 2001 in Ukraine, (b) Fund raising proposal for the workshop/conference in 2001, (c) Detailed pilot project (or "Concept Development") proposal of European Group for major funding.
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9. Full-Workshop in Shefield, UK by Open University/UK
The workshop in March, 2001 in Shefield, UK (which will be mainly organized by the Open University/UK with full support of the British Council) will bring together experts, decision makers and key speakers who will construct more detailed plan for European Group of the GUS (e.g., feasibility study, design of infra- and administrative structure, selection of courseware, etc.), discuss the basic principles of functioning, administration and infrastructure of the Regional Academic Center of Distance Learning (Global University - Ukraine) within the framework of the European Group of the GUS, and prepare workshop/conference on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning'01 in Lviv, Ukraine, 2001.
The project goal is to develop effective mechanisms for institutional knowledge and information exchange in the framework of the Global University System (GUS)™. The institutional partnership will explore technical capabilities and options, and match educational needs of Ukraine with affordable and accessible distance learning courses of the GUS, thus realizing global collaboration and partnership to ensure students' learnability. Implementation of distance learning technologies and elaboration of new distance syllabi will enable us to reach efficient informational and knowledge exchange within the partnership.
Technology Promotion Center of Lviv Institute of Management started working a few years ago and since then a lot has been done in the direction of promotion and use of broad band technologies for knowledge transfer, information exchange and creation of the system of Global Electronic Distance Learning in Ukraine.
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During the project it has been planned;
10. Workshop in Lviv, Ukraine in September, 2001
One of the expected results of the mini-workshop is an outline of the program of the workshop/conference on Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning’01 to be held in Lviv, Ukraine, 2001 for promotion of the Distance Learning in Ukraine and the NIS. During the Workshop in Lviv we are going to present the existing low-cost teleconferencing technologies, fully functional web-based course delivery platforms and advanced web-teaching materials. The goals of the conference will be to introduce the GUS, to discuss the role of telecommunications in the global information society and to promote distance learning in Ukraine and the NIS, as well as the role of broadband INTERNET technologies in the future of global tele-learning.
Web-based interactive communication platform is going to be further applied for holding on-line forum within the bounds of created partnership, and new partners are to be involved in the discussion as well. It will enable the existing partnership to promote the idea of distance learning, to discuss important problems of this area as well as to exchange information and gained experience.
After developing the pilot course of distance learning, it is going to be integrated into on line course delivery platform (WebCT) as a sample on-line course in order to demonstrate the possibilities of applying distance learning technologies.
After finishing the planned training on "New Information Technologies for Collaborative Learning and Communication", teachers will obtain basic skills for creating on-line courses, will be able to use up-to-date technologies effectively for interactive communication with students during the educational process. After demonstrating the sample on-line course, teachers will be proposed to create their own course and to place it on LIM’s On-line course delivery platform (WebCT).
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