Mission Statement of Ukranian Group

<<March 12, 1999>>

Dr. Ihor B. Katerniak
ik@LITech.net

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor
tapio.varis@uta.fi

Docent Antti Kasvio
ttanka@uta.fi

Timo Portimojarvi
hotipo@uta.fi

Mr. Larry Forgy
Lforgy@worldbank.org

Ben I. Haraguchi
haragucb@arentfox.com

Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
alexandr@ibrati.com.br

Robert J. Rodrigues, M.D.
rrodrigues@paho.org

I am very much delighted to receive your excellent mission statement of your Electronic Distance Education Development in Ukraine Pilot Project (ATTACHMENT II). I greatly appreciated your superb excerpt out of our previous materials.

Pls put this in your web, after correcting some typo and refining English phrases, so that everybody can access to it. Timo’s Tampere web and our GLOSAS web will then link to this.

Pls start considering to formulate the pilot project proposal of your Europe/Africa operation -- you may utilize/include this Ihor’s write-up as the starting point.

Pls refine/improve the mission statement (and later the pilot project proposal) of your Pacific/Asian operation as referencing to this Ihor’s write-up.

Pls start considering to formulate the mission statement of your North/South America operation.

(5) When I visited Larry Forgy of the InfoDev last January, I informed him that the end-result of our Tampere event is to come up pilot project proposals which will be submitted to the InfoDev. This is for conceptual development category and usually in the rage of US$500,000 -- as you saw in the RFP of the University of Philippines/Open University which I distributed previously.

(6) As mentioned in my previous distributions, the goal of those proposals is to firstly establish broadband wireless and satellite Internet networks in those regions. This will then benefit the advancements of telelearning and telemedicine.

To reach this stage, and when the above mentioned fund is obtained by each regional group;

The Pacific/Asia group (headed by Ben Haraguchi) will make a preliminary discussion on the Item (6)-(a) and (b) in the afternoon of 3/22nd at the office of the Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C. This is to explore the possibilities of exchanging courses between Montana State University/Bozeman and the University of Philippines/Open University through Burns Telecommunication Center at the former.

Referring to your question, you may visit Prof. Kiuchi’s web site on the MINCS-UH at <http://square.umin.ac.jp/kiuchi/ohp/> -- for slide show. I am now talking with satellite group how to combine MINCS-UH technology with the TCP/IP technology.

The main purpose of our Tampere event is to brainstorm how to raise necessary funds for the establishments of the proposed broadband Internet.

I will soon follow up the pledge made by Soros Foundation to cover your travel expenses.

Date: Wed, 03 Mar 1999 19:18:32 +0200
To: Tak Utsumi <utsumi@www.friends-partners.org>, Tapio Varis <titava@uta.fi>
From: Ihor Katerniak <ik@litech.net>
Subject: Electronic Distance Education Development in Ukraine
Cc: Oles Saban <saban@uar.net>, Serhiy Gvozdiov <serhiy@peterson.lviv.ua>,
George Farnbach <farnbach@libertynet.org>,
Dianna Derhak <derhak@derhak.kiev.ua>, Mykola Tomyn <tomyn@usa.net>,
ihor@lim.lviv.ua, tpc@lim.lviv.ua

Dear colleagues,
Enclosed please find the concept of Electronic Distance Education Development in Ukraine (EDED). Your comments, additions and questions are welcome.

Dear Prof.Topio Varis:
I would like your know your opinion about following issues:
It is possible to get information concerning other project, which are going to be developed within the group? Are you planing to create a European Coalition, which would join interested institutions or individuals for creating Global University/Europe?
What place can Ukraine have in European/African Pilot Project?
Have the roles been distributed among the participants of the group headed by you?
Do not hesitate to send your request, for we are ready to participate actively in the Project development.

Dear Tak,
Can you provide us with the technical information on broadband for Euro African Project?
Are there any chances for obtaining financing for the EDED that is being developed by the Ukrainian Coalition?
Are there any news from Soros Foundation concerning reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for Ukrainian participants in the Tempere Conference?

TO: Takashi Utsumi and Topio Varis
FROM: Ihor Katerniak, Director of the Technology Promotion Center
RE: Business, Medical and Telecommunication Coalition (Ukraine)
SUBJECT: Electronic Distance Education Development in Ukraine
DATE: 11.03.99

I. Business, Medical, and Telecommunication Coalition/Ukraine (Mission Statement)

The Ukrainian Coalition for Information Infrastructure in Education and Health Care "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 Univercity in the U.S.A.), and Dr. _hor Katerniak, (Director of the Technology Promotion Center, Ukraine). Today the Coalition unites the representatives of the business and medical schools, hospitals, specialized secondary schools, and technical experts in telecommunications from various regions of Ukraine. 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 local network and management infrastructure, technological base will be provided by the Technology Promotion Center (TPC), which was created in April 1996 in the partnership of Philadelphia University City Science Center /UCSC and Lviv Institute of Management for promotion of new technologies in the system of management through informational assistance and metodological provision for project management; the system of education through introduction of innovational methods of education, development and design of new educational programs for distance learning; the system of production through licencing and small business development; the system of commerce (electronic commerce) and services (tourism) through introduction of multimedia and Internet technologies. 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 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) as face-to-face meeting for discussing with people from various regions of Ukraine who can benefit most from our next step of development (web-site is located at <http://www.uar.net/conference/>). It was an extraordinary historical event; panelists are located from Tokyo, Japan to Lviv, Ukraine, spanning almost 18 hour time zones. ____/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.

Hence, today we have talented Ukrainian experts experienced in Computer Mediated Multimedia Systems (CMMS) [e.g., ShareVision, NetMeeting, etc.] through telecom media [e.g., TCP/IP-oriented Internet, etc.] and established international relations which make us sure in practical imlementation of broadband technologies for expending distance education to Ukraine.

Processes of economic globalization, which are developing especially rapidly on the verge of the second millennium, are closely connected with science consuming high-tech production, knowledge transfer, advanced management and the development of modern telecommunication and information technologies. Availability of a high scientific and technological potential in Ukraine and a great number of talented people, capacity of Ukrainian market and unique opportunities for introduction of investment projects requires intensive use of telecommunication technologies for the development of international partnerships both in science and in business, as well as in cultural understanding, and exchange (including tourism). With the present conditions of economic transformation in Ukraine and the budget deficit, special attention should be paid to restructuring, introducing new methods of management and involving out-of-budget funds and donor organizations to the development of education and health care, which are the priority for society. The new quality level, availability, base on international exchanges and standards can provide with the latest electronic means of information and transfer and telecommunications.

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 depend on knowledgeable consumers. Digitalization and the growing use of computers are creating new forms of illiteracy and poverty, and new forms of discrimination may emerge between countries and groups equipped to enter the information and knowledge society and those who are not.

Emerging Electronic Distance Education (EDE) offers many advantages to the participants and the world as a whole. Promoting EDE allows for the sharing of ideas, values and knowledge throughout the world. It opens up areas of communication and cooperation previously unrealized, contributing to world peace. The individuals, whom we help to educate today, will be our leaders tomorrow.

Right now there is a possibility to use the UARNet existing channels of satellite connection with the admission capacity of 384K/512 Kbps (Mordent/Stockholm) for implementing the Ukrainian Project. Though, this connection is too overloaded today and is not enough to use it in telemedicine.

It will be able to provide students, managers of public and private enterprises, unemployed people, and other interested parties, within as well as outside of Ukraine, with equal educational opportunities. It is intended to broaden the scope and increase the quality of educational programs using the scientific and technical resources of the participating universities, institutes, academies, and providers of professional development courses. Also, it will give a chance to people with Ukrainian origin living abroad to study different subjects in their native language.

There have been many distance education conferences around the world which have been visited only by participants who can afford to attend, - thus excluding many who can make valuable contributions. Conversely, the aim of our Ukrainian Project is to serve people in Ukraine who often cannot attend such meetings and conferences.

The development of educational, business and cultural activities together with the TeleMedicine will make it possible to share the expenses which will be quite large. For instance, transfer of X-ray photographs with high dividing capasity (600-1200dpi) requires broad-band Internet via digital satellite channels, which is too expensive.

A purpose of this project is to explore the educational potential of the Internet in Ukraine. Traditional and formal higher-education has many merits – but it has many limitations as well. Our hypothesis is that the Internet makes possible a different kind of learning -- more interactive, less exclusive, less expensive, more flexble , and perhaps more creative and fun.

In the conditions of economic reforms in Ukraine, the specialities related to professional development and establishing close international partnerships are in greatest demand, such as management of organizations, medicine and engineering. Besides, great demand has been noticed for obtaining additional knowledge by the students of secondary schools and universities motivated by critical conditions in the labor market of Ukraine (about 350 unemployed persons per one workplace in some regions of Ukraine).

Lviv Institute of Management (LIM) was created in 1989 as a private, self sustaining, not-for-profit institute to assist growing private business in the region by educational, training and consulting services. LIM was among the first institutions in the former Soviet Union where the MBA program was launched.

To achieve a multiplication effect in delivery of the best quality academic and training programs, to facilitate really interactive cooperation between companies and business school, LIM commits itself to development of distance learning system.

The goal is to provide new models for distance learning not only to residents of Ukraine but to people all over the Central/Eastern Europe (CEE) so that they may be able to take advantage of leading business schools development and direct access to managers of leading companies.

The economic situation in the region and the level of business education development argues for creation of global educational system (virtual business school - VBS). The reasons are:

The project is based on the existing network of business schools in the CEE. Resources of five leading business schools, united in a group during the seminars in 1998-1999, known as "Lviv Initiative", will be used as a base for VBS (LIM, IMI-Kyiv, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv Financial Institute and Dnipropetrovsk Business School). Geographically they cover Ukraine from East to West. Central Europe will be represented by the business school of Jagellonian University (Krakow, Poland), Lublin Business School (Poland), CEU (Budapest, Hungary) and Economic University (Prague, Czech).

On the basis of the group of the five institutes, joint curriculum and teaching materials will be developed. Each school will contribute with the strongest parts of its program.

The important role of supervising will be up to the Global and American universities, currently cooperating with LIM and IMI - Wayne State University and Carnegie Mellony 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.

In January 1999, an algorithm for the distance learning in "Innovations and Project Management" was developed (authors: Dr.I.Katerniak and Dr. G.Gamota) for manaders of R&D and technology based companies.

Ethics of business communication (Cultural and Business Ethics, Self Management and Business English, or any other foreign language chosen by a trainee). Foreign language learning is very time-consuming. Unfortunately, having studied a foreign language for quite a long period of time, having attended various language courses and programs, professionals still feel lack of skills, practice and experience to apply the foreign language effectively in business environment. To increase their proficiency, the Distance Education Program in Foreign Language for Business Purposes should include the integral parts of foreign language knowledge, i.e. effectiveness, fluency and accuracy. All classical language teaching curricula have been focused mainly on accuracy. As a result, there are so many people today knowing too much about a foreign language but knowing too little of how to use it effectively for their professional purposes. First and foremost, the DEP in FLBP is designed for and oriented on in-service «students» wishing to improve the effectiveness of their skills in business foreign language.

In the social sphere one can see raising demand for major in Human Resource Management.

This direction of the Coalition activities is hold by the Lviv Institute of Management being the regional office of American International Health Alliance, Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital, Lviv Railway Clinical Hospital, Specialized Secondary School for children with heart diseases, Lviv Medical University, Galytska (regional) Psychiatric Association, and Association of private medicine, which has its departments in all regions of Ukraine. Two modern centers of women’s health (that provides with breast cancer screening (mammogram)), and of neonatology have started their activity. It has been envisaged to broaden the activity in neonatology in other cities of Ukraine (Kharkiv, Kyiv, Odessa, and Donetsk).

Accumulated experience and established contacts in the sphere of Health Care could and should be used and disseminated in Ukraine through the system of Electronic Distance Education (Interactive Medical Workshops and Conferences) and TeleMedicine.

The Health Care Activity has been mainly focused on medical diagnosis, consulting, data transfer (e.g., ECGs, X-rays, heart sounds) and some medical education programs. Today telemedicine can apply telecommunications and medical technologies to provide with information exchange between a physician and a patient, or between two physicians in geographically separate 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 to more developed and just 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. Internet can be used for:

Immediate access to medical databases.
Health care 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 record.

Tele-consultation and training.
TeleMedicine network will offer an opportunity for consulting between doctors and other medical professionals in health care (via telephone, email, videoconferencing, etc.). Distance education can also involve a small rural hospital, whose doctors/nurses are able to "attend" a consultations conducted by a professor at the big teaching hospital (special and important for TransCarpathian 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 health care infrastructure requires not only access to expertise, but it should also provide health care 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 should 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 indicated the necessity to develop managerial skills in the system of health care and its reformation. Lviv 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 telecom 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.

Ukraine possesses great scientific and technological potential. The basic priorities in its innovation development are aircraft and rocket construction, biotechnologies and medicine, informational technologies and new materials. The market of latest technologies is shaping now and it requires highly developed technologies. Possibility to use teleconferences for promotion of common research and development, information exchange and understanding is under consideration now. The project has to create a certain support system for the scientists who have no access to the modern literature and possibilities to participate in the meetings dedicated to the field of their scientific interests.

Closer integration of scientific and business communities, and the development of technology-based small businesses result in need for additional business knowledge for companies in Ukraine's transitional economy. How international knowledge and experience can be successfully applied in Ukrainian legal and economic conditions, and how innovation structures and funds can be supported. Availability of teleconference technologies and well-developed information network can assist in establishing business contacts, in starting and providing business in Ukraine, it may become the foundation for introduction of such projects as Virtual Business Incubator (consulting, training anf information support in partnetship with Busines Incubator Development Program (BID/USAID)) and electronic commerce. It will allow to hold conferences involving venture capital, organize multimedia meetings of shareholders, which is of special interest in Ukraine nowadays, and processes of privatization and post-privatizational management.

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). Lviv is city of outstanding monuments of architecture and works of art.

Last year (1998) the ensemble of the historical center of Lviv was inscribed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Cities. A great number of foreigners are eager to visit Lviv (both for business and pleasure) and it is essential for them to better know the city facilities. Virtual City-Lviv 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-Lviv" Project with 3 dimensional (3D) rotating image of glittering cathedrals, picture galleries, museums, the opera theatre, hotels, restaurants, business centers, etc. The web can be made in HTML and VRML techniques and therefore can be used via Internet therefore being available worldwide.

Dr. Ihor B. Katerniak
Project Manager
A Business, Medical, and Telecommunication Coalition in Ukraine
Director,
Technology Promotion Center-LIM
57, 700-richchia Lvova Str,
Lviv, Ukraine
Pone: 380 322-522681
Fax: 380 322-522682
Deputy Manager of BID program in Ukraine
19, Panasa Myrnoho Str.
Kyiv, Ukraine
Pone; 380 44 290 8368
Fax: 380 44 290 0495
e-mail: ik@LITech.net
http://www.uar.net/conference/

P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor
Chairman, GLOSAS/Finland
Professor and Chair
Media Culture and Communication Education
Hypermedia laboratory
Chairman, Scientific Council
Information Society Research Center
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
Finland
tel: +358-3-215 6111
Direct (24 hour availability) mobile phone:
GSM +358-50-567-9833
fax: +358-3-215 7503
tapio.varis@uta.fi
titava@uta.fi
http://www.uta.fi
http://www.uta.fi/hyper/
http://www.uta.fi/~titava -- Tapio’s page with photo

Docent Antti Kasvio
Research Director
Information Society Research Center
Department of Information Studies
University of Tampere
P. O. Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
Finland
+358-3-215-7633
+358-040-555-1362
Fax: +358-3-215-7932
ttanka@uta.fi

Timo Portimojarvi
Assistant
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
Finland
+358-40-550 3193
hotipo@uta.fi
GSM: +358-40-550-3193
www.uta.fi/~hotipo
http://hoklpc25.uta.fi/egede
(username: egede, password: egede)
http://hoklpc25.uta.fi/EGEDL/
http://hoklpc25.uta.fi/EGEDL/brochure/

Mr. Larry Forgy
Work Program Administrator
infoDev Program
Information for Development
The World Bank, F3K-268
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433
U.S.A.
202-473-7462
202-458-5153
Fax: (202) 522 3186
Lforgy@worldbank.org
infodev@Worldbank.org
http://www.worldbank.org/html/fpd/infodev

Ben I. Haraguchi
President
Foundation for the Support of the United Nations (FSUN)
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn
1675 Broadway, 25th Flr.
New York, NY 10019-5820
212-484-3935
Fax: 212-484-3990
haragucb@arentfox.com

Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
Professor Adjunto
Univesidade do Amazonas
Departamento de Economia
Rua EmÌlio Moreira, 611 PÁa. 14
Manaus - AM
Brasil 69000
Tel.: (092) 234.6591
or,
Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV)
Instituto Superior de Administracao e Economia da Amazonia (ISAE)
Av. Djalma Batista, 712 - Chapada
Manaus - AM
Brasil 69050-901
Tel.: +55-(92) 622.6957
633-1514 Ramal 77
Fax.: +55-(92) 633.1827
+55-(92) 622-6985<<September 24, 1998>>His msg of today prefer this.
alexandr@ibrati.com.br
www.isaefgv.com.br

Robert J. Rodrigues, M.D.
Program Coordinator
Health Services Information System Program
Division of Health Systems and Services Development
Pan American Health Organization
Regional Office of the World Health Organization
525 Twenty-Third Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037
202-974-3812
202-974-3826
Fax: 202-974-3614
rrodrigues@paho.org
NetMeeting Server: ils.paho.org
http://www.paho.org