Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950510191806.1653A-100000@solar.rtd.utk.edu> Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 19:20:34 -0400 From: Tak Utsumi <mailto:utsumi@SOLAR.RTD.UTK.EDU> Subject: GTU/Position Paper To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
May 10, 1995 <<18:01:33>>Dear Electronic Colleagues:
(1) Attached below is a position paper about the creation of a Global Telecommunication University by the International Telecommunication Union (a part of the United Nations), which was produced out of their computer conferencing forum going on since March at <mailto:GTU_INF@ITU.CH> -- GTU information with Gopher at <gopher.itu..ch>.
(2) For those people who are not familiar with acronymus;
GTU: Global Telecommunication University
BDT: Telecommunication Development Bureau
FOP: Field Operations Department
HRD: Human Resource Development
TIES: ITU Telecom Information Exchange System
BAAP: Buenos Aires Action Plan
LDC: Less Developed Countries
(3) Johan Ernberg at ITU:
Congratulations to your steady progress.
Best, Tak ****************************************
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
Telecommunication Development Bureau T E L E F A X
Place des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Telephone: +41 22 730 51 11 Telefax Gr3: +41 22 733 72 56 Gr4: +41 22 730 65 00
Date: 8 May 1995 Time: Page 1/5
To: Potential partners in the GTU
From: Renato Cortinovis, BDT/FOP/HRD For your reply: Fax: +41 22 730 5484 Tel: +41 22 730 5428
Subject: The Global Telecommunication University Position of the lTU/BDT/HRD Division
Dear Sir/Madam
We are pleased to attach the lTU/BDT/HRD Division position paper on the GTU, taking into consideration the contributions to the GTU electronic conference that we received from the different potential partners. This information is also available in lTU/TlES, together with the provisional list of participants in the GTU round-table meeting.
The electronic conference is still opened to those who have not yet provided their views and who wish to do so.
We also seize this opportunity to remind you that the round-table meeting will be held at lTU headquarters from 29 to 31 May 1995.
We thank you for your interest in our activities and look forward to meeting those who will be able to take part in the above-mentioned meeting.
Yours faithfully,
Jaime Herrera Head, HRD Division ****************************************
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THE GTU AS SEEN BY THE ITU/BDT/HRD GROUP Taking into consideration the contributions to the electronic conference
I OBJECTIVES:
According to the ITU/BDT/HRD group, the Global Telecommunication University (GTU) has two objectives:
a) Short-term objective:
To provide continuous education courses to professionals (engineers and other professionals working in the telecom sector: administrators, economists, lawyers, etc.) and to technicians (qualified staff, with no university degree).
We see "continuous education courses" as short vocational/educational courses or programs meant to update the current knowledge/skills of the staff in telecommunication organizations.
These courses, or programs, could be implemented in two ways:
1- At distance, using telecommunication facilities and information technolo- gies.
2- On the different campuses of the participants' entities (traditional courses)
THE NOVELTY: to resort to the distance learning approach for transferring existing programs to developing countries in a more systematic way, thus offering training to many more staff members than in the past, when only traditional courses were available.
b) Long-term objectives:
To set up a permanent organization for coordination and managing a pool of universities and other training institutions (especially those from telecommu- nication organizations).
To create a specific curriculum and provide not only continuous education programs, but also career programs to train new professionals in telecommuni- cation.
The activities will be a combination of both distance learning programs and on-site programs delivered on the different campuses of the members' institu- tions.
THE NOVELTY(IES !): the first one, that should receive full support and should be used extensively, is the use of distance learning programs via the "infor- mation highways". The second one, is the establishment of recognized curricu- lums, where the courses could be implemented at distance and/or on site, on the different campuses of the telecommunication training institutions and or universities. The third one is the creation of special diplomas recognized by
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all partners and ITU, and valid world-wide.
II CONTRIBUTION OF ITU/BDT:
a) During the organization of the system:
To collect ideas (through electronic conference and other activities such as meetings, interviews, etc.)
- To organize a round-table meeting with interested partners at ITU Geneva, in May 1995 (to examine the topics discussed in the electronic conference. and to suggest lines of actions).
- With the help of recruited experts, and following the lines of actions discussed during the round-table meeting (May 1995), to finalize the FEASIBILITY STUDY in order to define the long term objective implementa- tion.
- With the interested persons or institutions, to coordinate the implemen- tation of different pilot trials, running courses at distance to test the different media and transmission facilities in developing countries (short-term objective).
- To assist developing countries having no access to "information high- ways" in obtaining it. This objective, included under "BAAP-Program No 12: Telematics" will be implemented when required and within the limits of available resources.
- To submit the results of the Feasibility Study to the ITU authorities and to the possible sources of financing (if so required).
b) During the normal operation of the system:
1. To be one of the members of the Board. The notion of "Board" has to be defined, and its structure/organization recommended in the Feasibility Study report.
2. Needs: ITU/BDT may play different roles in collecting and disseminating information on needs:
2.1 To collect information: to continue identifying needs in developing countries (telecom organizations) for continuous education courses and career programs.
2.2 To continue identifying the candidates from developing countries, who need to follow continuous education courses (at distance and/or on campus) and/or students to follow the telecommunication career(s) (combination of distance and on-campus courses).
2.3 To disseminate information on needs to interested universities and training institutes, through the Information System (International Sharing System databases) and the Virtual Training Center.
3. Resources: ITU/BDT would play two roles, one in collecting information
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on resources available and the other in disseminating this information.
3.1 To collect information on all available courses and programs, as well as on other possible resources such as fellowships, etc.
3.2 To disseminate the information on available courses and programs, especially to all telecommunication organizations in developing coun- tries, providing details on access and use of these resources. For this activity, we will resort to our information systems: the International Sharing System databases and the Virtual Training Center.
4. To coordinate the group of experts in order to define the courses contents and/or programs curriculums.
5. To offer some fellowships from its own budget, if required. Preference will be given to LDCs.
6. To provide advise/consultancy:
6.1 Advise and consultancy services on the use of the available resources (training material, media, training opportunities, etc.)
6.2 To inform interested telecommunication organizations on advise/consultancy services offered by the different entities and partners in the GTU system.
7. To participate in the evaluation of the results of courses/programs, assessing the benefits for developing countries.
III OBJECTIVES OF THE ROUND-TABLE MEETING:
The HRD group organizes the round-table meeting with the following objectives:
1. To establish the directives of the GTU permanent organization (long term objective) in order to define directives to follow when conducting the feasibility study.
2. To define some pilot projects on distance training, to be carried out immediately (in 1995 and 1996, if possible).
IV TENTATIVE AGENDA OF THE ROUND-TABLE MEETING:
=> 29 May
- Registration (from 9:30 to 10:30).
- Opening at 10:30. Speech of a BDT official, defining the objectives of the round-table meeting and the expected outputs.
- Presentation of the BDT/BAAP-action plan. Role of the GTU in this plan and relation with the Study Groups for Development.
- Presentation by the HRD Division on its activities, and the vision of
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the distance training system.
- Presentation by the HRD Division, of the electronic conference brainstorming summary.
- Presentations of the different participants' ideas.
- Comments and summary of the most important conclusions of the discus- sions.
=> 30 May
- From 9:30, if required, continue presentation of ideas of the differ- ent participants, with comments and summary of the most important conclusions.
- Definition of the project organization, and of the items to be considered when conducting the feasibility study. Identification of possible partners in the GTU and conditions for participation, etc.
- Identification of the possible partners interested in cooperating in the feasibility study. Definition of the job description (list of tasks) of the experts to be recruited for conducting the feasibility study, etc.
- How to continue the electronic conference (study group or similar).
=> 31 May
- From 9:30, if needed: finishing the work started on 30 May.
- Discussions on possible pilot projects to be organized:
- ITU will explain its intention and comment on already implemented or on-going experiences, limitations, problems, facilities, etc.
- Participants will present their ideas and proposals.
- Definition of some pilot projects (partners, modalities, requirements, role of each partner, etc.). ********************************************************************** * Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D. * * Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education * * Founder of CAADE * * (Consortium for the Advancement of Affordable Distance Education) * * President, Global University in the U.S.A. (GU/USA) * * A Divisional Activity of GLOSAS/USA * * (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) * * 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. * * Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) * * INTERNET: mailto:utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 * **********************************************************************