Lemmens The Virtual Challenge to International Cooperation in Higher Education Bernd Wächter (ed.) Aca papers on International Cooperation in Education The V irtual Challenge to International Cooperation in Higher Education

participating universities share some modules and jointly undertake person-
nel training measures in the use of ICT for teaching and learning.
Cyber Courses: Some universities in China (including Hongkong and
Macau), Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia offer courses via the web. For
example, Tianjin University of Technology offers nine courses. Japan prefers
the use of satellites for educational broadcasting.
Korea is probably most advanced in the application of ICT in education. Its
ministry of education developed a strategic plan (1997-2002) on the use of
ICT in education. It equips many classrooms with multimedia network
systems and provides computers to teachers. It also supports the develop-
ment of software and databases. Multimedia has been gradually introduced
since 1997 even in primary and secondary schools. The Korea National
Open University, which was established in 1972, is the only distance teach-
ing university offering bachelor degrees for adults using multimedia, video
conferencing and the Internet together with face-to-face tuition. The Virtual
University trial Project (1998) consisted of eight conventional universities and
the Korea National Open University offering 80 web-based virtual courses for
undergraduates and professionals. There is also cooperation between uni-
versities and media corporations in establishing a future virtual university
called the Open Cyber University.
In South-East Asia, Malaysia has a private university, the Universiti Tun
Abdul Razak (UNITAR, established 1999), with internet-based support for
home study and face-to-face support through nation-wide training centres.
Located in Cyberjaya, within Malaysia’s multimedia super corridor, it offers
both degree and sub-degree courses in business and ICT-related courses.
Singapore is the most advanced among ASEAN nations in the use of ICT for
education. Having the advantage of being small and relatively rich, it has
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many PC owners and generally a good level of English language compe-
tence. There is one single resource for Singapore’s coordinated approach to
integrating new communication technologies into education: a nation-wide
broadband network that delivers interactive multimedia applications and
services to everyone in Singapore. In 1991, the Singapore Polytechnic was
established. It offers 51 modules in engineering, IT and business.
In Thailand, the biggest provider of distance education is the Suhkotai Tham-
mathirat Open University. Its internet-based provision is limited, however,
with the majority of courses using some other form of multimedia. Suranee
University of Technology, the first autonomous public university in Thailand, is
a dual-mode institution, which will be offering borderless programmes in
nearby provinces in the near future. The National Technological University
uses multimedia and satellite broadcasting materials developed by partner
institutions in the United States in the fields of engineering, business and
management.
In the Philippines, only the University of the Philippines has a separate “open
university programme”. However, it predominantly still uses traditional media,
with only some models being under preparation now. Many private universi-
ties in the capital city have IT facilities and supplement face-to-face delivery
with internet-based tuition. There are many private IT schools, but the quality
of their programmes has not been properly assessed.