I. Asia-Pacific Group:

The University of Philippines/Open University (UPOU) in Manila will hold a mini-workshop next spring which will design how to make distance learning and telemedicine between the UPOU and other schools in Philippines with the US schools. This workshop will focus on the connection between the UPOU and North America (including Canada, if there is Canadian interest).

The purpose of this workshop (say, 3 to 4 days) is,

1. to learn the UPOU's current status of distance learning and telemedicine (including the delivery infrastructure),
   
   
2. to learn the UPOU's need in the future,
   
   
3. to present what can be (or will be) available from North America,
   
   
   1. via narrow-band Internet and ISDN, etc., i.e., through currently available telecom infrastructure,
      
      
   2. via broad-band Internet when it is available,
      
      
4. to configure administrative and business schemes,
   
   
5. to make an action plan,
   
   
6. to construct funding proposals,
   
   
7. to plan Tokyo conference with ASEAN country people.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already indicated their willingness to receive our travel grant application for Americans attending the workshop. We will seek the similar from Canadian government for Canadians’ attendance. About two dozen North Americans are to attend the event.

Telemedicine Demonstration:

If there is enough capacity of ISDN line (say, 384 Kbps) with PictureTel (or VTEL) machine, we may conduct an echocardiography demonstration with Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia University in New York during this event, as we did between our Tampere event and the Presbyterian Hospital last August. However, this time, we plan to use a portable echograph machine for a pseudo-patient on a tread mill. We will also use a software to show a 3D image of the patient’s heart which may be cut (electronically, of course!!) to examine its inside.

I.1. Sub-region: Pakistan

This group is now ready to submit a grant application to the "Grass-Root" fund of the Japanese government (up to approximately US$40,000) under the guidance of the Global University System (GUS). This group has already a close relation with the Utah State University.

This group's next step is to hold a workshop similar to the one in Manila mentioned above.

II. North America Group:

Burns Telecommunications Center (BTC) at Montana State University in Bozeman will soon hold a workshop with attendees from Arizona State University and the University of Calgary in Canada. This workshop is;

• to configure how to interconnect not only the Native American and Canadian's communities in each of their states but also among them via broadband wireless and satellite Internet,
  
  
• to plan web construction for Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. This will include walk-through of the museum, 3D animation of artifacts, flyby of the sites where those artifacts were found, etc.

III. Central American Group:

This group will hold a workshop in cooperation with the Consejo Superior de Universidades de Centro America (CSUCA) system and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK). The CSUCA is a consortium of all the public backed universities in the region. The aims of the workshop will be similar to the workshop in Manila mentioned above. The date of the workshop is not set yet.

IV. Amazonas Region Group:

This group will hold a workshop in cooperation with the UNAMAZ, a university consortium in 8 countries in Amazon area. The location of the workshop will be either in Manaus, Amazona in Brazil or in Venezuela. The date is not set yet. The purpose of the workshop will be similar to the one to be held in Manila mentioned above.

V. European Group:

This group will hold a workshop at the Open University in the U.K., in cooperation with;

• Global University System (Finland),
  
• University of Tampere (Finland),
  
• Open University (U.K.),
  
• Distance Education Network of European Association for International Education at University of Art and Design - Helsinki (Finland),
  
• Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education (CAADE) at GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A. (GLOSAS/USA).

The end product of the workshop will be a joint proposal for fund raising which includes a detailed plan for the European Group of the Global University System, e.g., a feasibility study, design of infrastructure and administrative structure, selection of courseware, etc. This workshop will also produce the plan, program and fund raising proposal for the workshop and conference on “Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning" which is to be held in Ukraine in 2001. Colleagues in Ukraine and Bulgaria are now preparing their travel grant applications to the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) in Washington, D.C. The date of the workshop will be after April, 2000.

VI. African Group:

This group will hold a workshop similar to the one in Manila mentioned above. The date and place are not determined yet.

In addition, GLOSAS/USA will hold a one-day workshop at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C. with people from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and Industry Trade (DFAIT) on December 20, 1999. The agenda of our discussions will be the followings;

1. Current status of regional activities.
   
2. Report on the activities of the USPNet at the University of South Pacific (USP) in Fiji.
   
3. Brainstorming how to have a joint project for establishing a global broadband Internet with the US, Canadian and Japanese governments (and European Union later).
   
4. Brainstorming how to formulate Global Service Trust Fund (GSTF).
   Reference:
   <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Tampere_Conference/GSTF/GSTF.html>