You will see from one of the attachments that Professor Varis has suggested that you might be able to provide me with some advice on virtual universities. Details of the kind of information I am interested in are also attached. Please do not go to any trouble, but it would be very helpful to have any general information which you may have on the issue.

Many thanks.
Terry Grant

From: Tapio Varis <tapio.varis@uta.fi>
To: Terry.GRANT@DG22.cec.be
Subject: Re: VIRTUAL UNIVERSITIES

Dear Terry Grant,

Thank you very much for your request. I have just finished a major conference & workshop on "Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning" - please find information from:

http://www.teched.org/finland/

I and my colleague Dr. Takeshi Utsumi (utsumi@columbia.edu) have been much involved in these things and you could receive information from Dr. Utsumi, too.

Your questions require some home work which I am willing to do in a few weeks time. You may contact my frie Mr. Janee Sariola at the Finish Ministry for Education (janne.sariola@minedu.fi) who is compiling these things right now. You may like to refer to me when approaching him.

Best wishes and regards,

Tapio Varis
Professor and Chair
University of Tampere
http://www.uta.fi/~titava

At 15:09 15.9.1999 +0200, you wrote:
Dear Professor Varis

I should be very grateful if you could let me have any information which might be easily accessible to you in respect of "virtual universities" in Finland. Details of the kind of information which would be helpful are in the attachment.

Many thanks.
Terry Grant
Attachment Converted: "C:\EUDORA\Attach\univques.doc"

15 September1999

Dear Professor Varis

VIRTUAL UNIVERSITIES

Alain Dumort, recently of the European Commission, but who has now taken up a secondment to a University in the States, suggested I contact you to enquire if you could offer any advice on virtual universities. I have recently moved from my job in the Education Ministry in London to take up a post in DGXXII in the Commission. I will be mostly involved in the European Netdays project, details of which you I am sure you will already be aware of. I expect to be here for two the three years before returning to London.

In addition to the Netdays project, I am also interested in establishing how online facilities are enhancing learning in the higher education sector in each EU country and in Australia, Canada and the US. I realise that many countries have concentrated on developing ICT in their schools sector and that provision in the higher education sector might not be quite so advanced. However, it would be very helpful if you could let me have, or provide me with a contact who might have, information of any developments that you are aware of in Finland or in neighbouring countries.

The kind of information I am looking for includes :

i. what are individual universities/national governments doing in this area ?

ii. who are the main target groups ?

iii. who are the main users ?

iv. what are the advantages/disadvantages ?

v. is there any private sector involvement ?

vi. what are the main objectives of any initiatives ?

vii. what are the costs ?

This is just a preliminary survey of what is going on, so please do not go to too much trouble when replying. But any information you or your colleagues might have on the above issues, or just a general overview, would be most helpful. Even a www site which might have some details would be useful.

Many thanks.


Terry Grant