<<September 14, 2000>>
Archived distributions can be retrieved
by clicking on the top lines of our home page at <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/>.
Dr. Marco Antonio R. Dias <mardias@club-internet.fr>
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor <tapio.varis@uta.fi>
Dr. David A. Johnson, AICP <daj@utk.edu>
Francis J. Method <fmethod@erols.com>
Dr. Joseph N. Pelton <ecjpelton@aol.com>
John B. Rose <j.rose@unesco.org>
Jan Visser, Ph.D. <jvisser@learndev.org>
Prof. Dr. Fredric Michael Litto <frmlitto@usp.br>
Roberto J. Rodrigues, MD <rrodrigues@paho.org>
Dr. Paul Lefrere <p.lefrere@open.ac.uk>
Silas Guedes do Oliveira <sgo@argo.com.br>
Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D. <alex_mau@argo.com.br>
Dr. Fernando Antonio Menezes <fernando_menezes@hotmail.com>
Dr. Pablo Pulido <pablopulido1@compuserve.com>
Dear Marco:
===========
(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I).
(2) Your Item 1:
============
I am very glad that you and Tapio will present our Global
University
System (GUS), Global Broadband Internet (GBI) and Global
Service Trust
Fund (GSTF) projects at the Newropean Congress on 10/5-7,
2000 in Paris.
Previous listserve distribution on this was;
"Demo of Global Peace Gaming at Newropean Congress
on 10/5-7, 2000
in Paris - May 1, 2000" which can be retrieved
at
<http://www.friends-partners.org/~utsumi/gu-l/early-2000/5-1-a.html>.
Pls convey my best personal regards to Franck BIANCHERI, the organizer of the congress.
(3) All relevant information about those projects can be found at
(4) In this page, you will find;
Slide Show/9-14-00 by Peter Knight for GSTF project which can be retrieved at
Since Peter worked on this with Frank Method of UNESCO/Washington
DC
office, Peter included the UNESCO logo in the last slide.
Pls let me know if it is appropriate at this stage without
any official
endorsement from UNESCO -- if it is OK, it would be very
appreciative to us all.
(5) Your Item 2:
============
I am very happy to know that you are now working with
Tapio to get the
NGO status under UNESCO/UNITWIN Programme.
If we can get this, we can issue a certificate with statement
of GUS as
an "NGO under UNESCO."
Whenever I attend workshops and conferences in Brazil,
they usually
issue a certificate -- which is very important to the attendees,
according to Fred Litto.
In order to provide global e-learning and telehealth/telemedicine
services, we need something like that.
However, what is UNITWIN Programme anyway? Pls let me know its URL.
(6) Your Item 3:
============
I am very glad to hear that you are meeting with Dr. Federico
Mayor in
Madrid, Spain on 9/24th. Yes, pls ask him;
(a) to become a Trustee member of GUS -- after Dr. Pekka
Tarjanne,
former Secretary General of the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU), a good friend of Tapio,
(b) to be invited to the Global Summit to create the
GSTF, which is
now being organized by Joe Pelton -- sometime in the
middle of
2001 in Washington DC.
BTW, Paul Lefrere of the UK Open University is now organizing
our
workshop (provisionally entitled Global eU2001) on April
9 to 12, 2001
in Sheffield, England with the support of agencies such as
the British
Council, in cooperation with the U.K. Sheffield Hallam University
as
host, the University of Tampere in Finland and the Global
University
System in order to brainstorm on the procedures for forging
ahead on the
development of the Global University System/European Regional
Activities
with Global Broadband Internet and Global Service Trust Fund
(GSTF).
The GSTF is a voluntary international e-rate to provide
broadband
connectivity for education and health projects in
developing/transitional economies with appropriate
telecommunications, education, and health policies.
This workshop will be in conjunction with the eU2001 conference,
which
will be concerned with recent work on virtual universities
and the
possible establishment of an "e-University" in
England.
Paul and his colleague at the Sheffield Hallam University
may invite Dr.
Mayor to this event.
(7) Your Item 4:
============
During my stay in Sao Paulo, I and Fred Litto had a mtg
with Silas
Guedes do Oliveira, Vice-Rector of the Universidade do Amazonas
in
Manaus.
I suggested him to have a feasibility study of deploying a community-based broadband Internet -- see the outline and diagram of the GBI at
He told me that he would talk with Alex Rivas and officials
of Amazon
State Governments and would invite me to Manaus for further
discussion.
This could be a pilot project of GSTF as Carlos Braga,
manager of
the InfoDev of the World Bank, once requested Peter
to indicate.
Tapio was also encouraged by Carlos to submit a grant
application
as a follow-up of our highly successful Tampere event.
(8) As you may recall, during our Manaus workshop, Marcos
Costa of Agilent
Technology (formerly Hewlett-Packard) made a presentation
of a kiosk of
Digital Town Center in the middle of rain forest in Costa
Rica which has
40 Mbps Internet linkage via satellite.
See the slides used by Marcos at
http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Manaus%20Workshop/HTML%20Presentation%20folder/index.htm
This is a joint project of Hewlett-Packard and Massachusetts
Institute
of Technology, and called LINCOS (Little Intelligent Communities)
project -- see its web site at <http://www.lincos.net/>.
According to James R. Sheats at HP headquarters who is
in charge of this
project at the HP, 4 Mbps Internet two-way linkage is only
$300/month.
They have all necessary equipment packed in a container
which can be
shipped anywhere around the world -- 50 units to Dominican
Republic in
the Caribbean already. This project is backed by the former
President
of Costa Rica, Ing. Jose Maria Figueres Olsen.
At our Manaus workshop, you requested me to help linking
the centers of
excellence at the UNAMAZ member universities. This unit
may be used for the job.
They already have necessary equipment so that our next
task is to gather
funds -- e.g, to work on our Global Service Trust Fund (GSTF)
project.
(9) Pablo Pulido, Executive Director of the PanAmerican Federation
of
Associations of Medical Schools (a consortium of 384 universities
in
Latin America) has not informed me his possible workshop
in conjunction
with the UNAMAZ mtg in Caracas, Venezuela in November yet.
(10) During my stay in Sao Paulo, I also met with Dr. Fernando
Antonio
Menezes, President of the University of Roraima (whom you
also met in Manaus).
His university is now getting 45 Mbps broadband Internet,
and he wishes
to have a videoconferencing and telemedicine demonstrations
as we did
during our Manaus workshop.
His university also has a 560 acres of estate at which
he would like to
build a new university campus.
I am now gathering people for this project, and during
my stay in
Sao Paulo, a British Council officer indicated the possible
funding for this initial workshop.
(11) Your Item 5:
============
I wholeheartedly agree with you that the education should
be conceived
as a right and not as a commodity.
During the ICDE/ABED conferences, prominent e-learning
institutions
eagerly talked about the economic viability and sustainability
of global
e-learning along with the globalization of economy. There
was even a
session titled The Digital Divide and the Globalization
of Education:
Could They Represent a New Form of Colonization?"
Some attendees told me their criticism that those
educational
institutions' approach may widen (rather than closing)
the gap of
the digital divide.
Although I felt overwhelming enthusiasm for e-learning,
I also felt some
confusion and wrong perception of Internet among attendees.
This is why I prompted to have a project of constructing
Guidelines of
E-Learning -- see its initial draft at
http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Global_University/Guideline/List_of_Materials.html
We plan to have some write-ups of each items which would
reference to
the ones listed there -- including yours for vision setting
-- I hope
you would kindly lead this section.
Fred Litto and Bob Rodrigues (another graduate of
the Univ. of Sao
Paulo as you are) and I will have a preliminary discussion
mtg in
the late afternoon of 9/20th at Bob's office. This
guideline may
lead to the conditionality of education of GSTF later
on.
Best, Tak
****************************************
ATTACHMENT I
From: "Dias, M." <M.Dias@PARIS.UNESCO.org>
To: "'utsumi@columbia.edu'" <utsumi@columbia.edu>
Subject: RE: Workshop in Sheffield, England
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 17:11:29 +0200
Dear dr Utsumi,
1- Franck sent a questionnaire which will allow Tapio Varis
to make a
presentation in his conference (Paris 5/” October 2OOO). I can
assist Tapio.
2- We agreeded -Tapio and me- to elaborate a draft agreement
betwen UNESCO
and GUS in the framework of UNITWIN Programme. I already discussed
the
matter with the director of the Division of Higher Education in
UNESCO, Mr.
Seddoh, and it could work. However, agreements with UNESCO do
not have any
impact on the capacity of an organization to organize courses
("presential"
or "on-line"). This is a matter linked to national authorities.
3- I will probqbly meet dr. Mayor in Spain next 24 September.
I will consult
him as you suggested. Later, Tapio could send him an official
invitation and
an encounter with Tapio and you could be organized.
4- Our firneds of UNAMAZ are studying the possibility of the
workshop we
talked about. However, things are not evident. This conference
should help
to solve some basic institutional isues for the organization and
we can
easily understand that they give priority to it. The Secretary
General you
met in Manaos (Luis Aragon) is ijnterested in the idea. I will
inform you on
the progress of discussions.
5- The idea of having a reference document for GUS is important.
The
problem is not the "American imperialism"...However,
one must take into
consideration that all over the world many members of the academic
community
are reacting against the comercialization of education. Education
as
expressed in documents such as Delor s repport and the Paris Delcaration
(World Conference on Higher Education) should be consceived as
a ritht and
not as a commodity. Best wishes Marco Antonio R. Dias
****************************************
Return to Global University System Mid-2000 Correspondence
List of Distribution
Dr. Marco Antonio R. Dias
Vice President, Global University System
Consultant of United Nations University
Former Director, Division of Higher Education of UNESCO
36, Rue Ernest Renan
92.190 Meudon
FRANCE
Tel: +33-1-45 34 3509
+33-1-45-68-3009 (UNU office in Paris)
Fax: +33-1-45 34 3509
mardias@club-internet.fr
m.dias@unesco.org
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor
Acting President, Global University System
Chairman, GLOSAS/Finland
Professor and Chair
Media Culture and Communication Education
Hypermedia laboratory
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
FINLAND
Tel: +358-3-215 6110
Tel: +358-3-614-5247--office in Hameenlinna
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere
GSM: +358-50-567-9833
Fax: +358-3-215 7503
tapio.varis@uta.fi
http://www.uta.fi/~titava
Dr. David A. Johnson, AICP
Board member of GLOSAS/USA
Former President of Fulbright Association
Professor Emeritus, School of Planning
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Tennessee
108-I Hoskins Library
Knoxville, TN 37996-4015
USA
Tel: +1-865-974 5227
Fax: +1-865-974 5229
daj@utk.edu
davidj@buncombe.main.nc.us
http://web.utk.edu/~djohnutk/
Francis J. Method
Director, UNESCO-Washington
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
1775 K St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (1) 202-331-3755
Fax: (1) 202-331-9121
fmethod@erols.com
unesco1@cais.com<<June 5, 2000>>Did not work.
Dr. Joseph N. Pelton
Board member of GLOSAS/USA
Senior Research Scientist
Institute for Applied Space Research, Rm 340
George Washington University
2033 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20052
202-994-5507
Fax: 202-994-5505
ecjpelton@aol.com
jpelton@seas.gwu.edu
Or,
Acting Executive Director of CITI
Vice-Chair of the Arthur C. Clarke Foundation of the U.S. (ACCFUS)
Arthur C. Clark Institute for Telecommunication and Information
(CITI)
4025 40th Street North
Arlington, VA 22207
(703) 536-6985
ecjpelton@aol.com
http://clarkeinstitute.com/
http://www.clarkeinstitute.com/
John B. Rose
Information and Informatics Division
Division de l'Information et de l'Informatique
Communication Division
UNESCO
1 Rue Miollis
75732 PARIS Cedex 15
France
Tel: (33-1) 45 68 45 29
Fax: (33-1) 45 68 55 83
j.rose@unesco.org
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/infotech/infotech.htm
Jan Visser, Ph.D.
President, Learning Development Institute
E-mail: jvisser@learndev.org
Fax and voice messages:
North America: (1-520) 569-7978
Europe: (44-870) 125-7432
jvisser@learndev.org
Check out: http://www.learndev.org
Prof. Dr. Fredric Michael Litto
President, Brazilian Association of Distance Education
Professor and General Coordinator
Technologies as Applied to Education
Research Nucleus Investigating the New Communications
The School of the Future
University of Sao Paulo
Av. Prof. Lucio Martins Rodrigues, Travessa 4
No. 33 - Bloco 18 - Cidade Universitaria
CEP - 05508-900 - Sao Paulo, SP
BRAZIL
+55-11-3818-4924 (secretary)
+55-11-3818-6326
Tel/Fax: +55-11-3816-8168
Tel/Fax: +55-11-815-3083
frmlitto@usp.br
www.futuro.usp.br
www.abed.org.br
Roberto J. Rodrigues, MD
Regional Advisor in Health Services Information Technology
Essential Drugs and Technology Program
Division of Health Systems and Services Development
Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization
1889 F Street, NW 4th Floor Room 4-062
(Organization of American States Annex Building)
Washington, DC 20006 USA
Tel: (202) 974-3826
Fax: (202) 974-3610
rrodrigues@paho.org
NetMeeting Server: ils.paho.org
http://www.paho.or
Dr. Paul Lefrere
Senior Lecturer
Institute of Educational Technology
Open University
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes MK7 6AA
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44-1-908 65 33 88
Fax: +44-1-908 67 28 02
p.lefrere@open.ac.uk
http://www-iet.open.ac.uk/
Silas Guedes do Oliveira
Vice-Reitor
Universidade do Amazonas
Av. Gen. Rodrigo Octavio Jordao Ramos, 3000 - Aleixo
CEP 69.077-000 Manaus, AM
Tel: (92) 644-1602
Fax: (92) 644-1620
sgo@argo.com.br
Alexandre Rivas, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Director of the Center for Environmental Sciences
University of Amazonas - Brazil
C.P. 4208, Manaus 69053-140
BRAZIL
+55-92-644 23 22
Fax: +55-92-644 23 84
alex_mau@argo.com.br
http://www.argo.com.br/~alex_mau/alex.htm
http://lab-tiama.pop-am.rnp.br/cca/workshop/English/wksp_E.htm
Dr. Fernando Antonio Menezes
President
University of Roraima
Universidade Federal de Roraima
Campus do Paricarana/BR 174 S/N
Boa Vista, RORAIMA
Tel: 95-623-9067, 9065
Fax: 95-623-9063
fernando_menezes@hotmail.com
www.ufrr.br
www.germinal.ufrr.br
Dr. Pablo Pulido
Executive Director
PanAmerican Federation of Associations of Medical Schools
Apartado de Correos 60411
Caracus 1060-A
VENEZUELA
+58-2-945-0857
Fax: +58-2-945-4275
pablopulido1@compuserve.com
or
Sede de la Direccion Ejecutiva
Caracas, VENEZUELA
Calle el Torreon, Quinta FEPAFEM
Urb. Sorocaima, La Trinidad
+58-2-93-0875 / 943-2840 / 93-0857
Fax: +58-2-943-285-40
73000.1447@compuserve.com
http://www.fepafem.org.vp
**********************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA
*
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.)
*
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education
*
* Founder of CAADE
*
* (Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education)
*
* President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination
of *
* Global University System (GUS)
*
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A.
*
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer
email) *
* Email: utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676
*
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/
*
**********************************************************************