Canberra, Tuesday 30 April 2002

ANU conference fosters Pacific Rim university ties

The Asia and Pacific Rim Universities' (APRU) 3rd Annual Conference will open at the ANU tomorrow morning with a ceremony by indigenous traditional landowners and a welcome by the Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb.

The conference, "Distance Learning and the Internet: Human Capacity Development", will focus on how to build education infrastructure in developing countries and promote development.

It will foster new projects and partnerships with Pacific nations and bring together international distance learning experts from academia, business and government.

The forum will discuss key issues, problem solve and literally network incredibly diverse cultural groups. A list of member institutions follows.

The conference will explore globalisation and "flexible learning" including variations of online and distance education as part of the continuing hybridization of traditional models of education.

There will be a special emphasis on development issues and affordable solutions for Pacific Rim universities.

Gary Tamsitt, from the ANU Faculty of Law, will give a presentation on the intense educational development involved in changing to a technology-facilitated off-campus study program.

"My experience shows that a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning activities (eg chatrooms and internet discussion boards) including a careful mix of on and off-campus activities can deliver the combined expectations of study programs for students, professions and institutions," he said.

The ANU's Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods (CEDAM) plays a major role in formulating strategic directions for teaching and learning agendas, coordinates a program of professional development for ANU academic staff and works in partnership with academic areas in generating change in educational programs and academic practice.

The Conference is co-sponsored by the Australian National University, the University of Sydney, the University of Southern California, Lucent Technologies Foundation and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU).

What: Asia and Pacific Rim Universities' 3rd Annual Conference, Official Opening
When: Wednesday 1 May, 9.00 to 9.30am
Where: Theatre 3, Manning Clark Centre, ANU

For more information visit http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/dli3/ or contact:
Mr Gary Tamsitt, Faculty of Law, 6125 55763 or 0411 552 451; Dr Linda Hort, CEDAM, 6125 53840; Genevieve Turville, ANU Public Affairs, 02 6125 6125 or 0416 249 245

No 51/2002

© 2000 Marketing & Communications Division,
The Australian National University.
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Last Modified Tue, July 16, 2002