INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Telecommunication
Development Bureau
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
Telex 421 000 uit ch
Telegram ITU GENEVE
Internet: itumail@itu.ch
X.400 S=itumail; P=itu; A=arcom; C=ch
Ref: DM-125 - 10.2.1995
Contact: R. Cortinovis
Tel: +41 22 730 5428
Fax: +41 22 730 5484
E-Mail:
For the attention of:
- University Deans and Professors
- Director-Generals of Telecommunications
- Directors of Telecommunication Training Centres
- Any other concerned person
Subject: The Global Telecommunication University
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Senior Telecommunication Managers who participated in the World
Development Conference held in Buenos Aires in 1994 expressed the urgency of
establishing a Global Telecommunication University (GTU) in order to further
diversify training opportunities for developing countries and to better
implement modern teaching technologies.
The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) of the International
Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is the United Nations specialized Agency
in telecommunication, has been entrusted to organize and coordinate activities
for setting up the GTU.
The GTU's mission would be to contribute to the development of human
resources in the telecommunication sector. A special emphasis will be placed
on engineering and management training needs, arising from the changing
environment in developing countries, as a result of privatization,
competition, the opening to the market economy, the digitalization of networks
and the introduction of new technologies and services.
The GTU would rely on extensive use of modem telecommunication
technologies to support distance education. This way, geographically
scattered populations and people with time constraints could also be involved.
This option, however, does not exclude that traditional activities based on
campuses and in training centers could still be conducted in different
locations in the regions.
The GTU is expected to function by pooling the existing resources that
the partners in the venture (mainly education establishments and
telecommunication training institutions) will be willing to provide. These
existing resources may take several forms: human resources,
training/educational material, teaching/training facilities and/or additional
services.
The purpose of this letter is to invite potential partners interested in
cooperating in this venture to express their views on how the GTU should be
set up to benefit both developing and developed countries. To this end, we
kindly invite potential partners to study and _comment on_ attached Annex 1,
which is an outline of the GTU model. We welcome any remarks or additional
information in view of improving this model. _It is thanks to your
contribution and comments_ that the _GTU final model_ will be elaborated.
An electronic conference has been organized to collect/discuss
preliminary feedback to this letter, to study contributions towards the
establishment of the GTU, and to allow you to interactively exchange your
views with the ITU and with other potential partners, in view of preparing a
round-table discussion. This round-table meeting will be convened by the end
of May 1995 at ITU premises, to coordinate the actions that each partner
wishes to undertake.
We look forward to receiving your contribution and count on your active
participation in this electronic conference (please refer to Annex 2 for
details). You may also send your suggestions to the following address:
International Telecommunication Union
BDT/Field Operations Department - HRD Division
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneve 20
Suisse
Recipients of this letter who are interested in participating in the GTU
are kindly invited to send their suggestions and remarks and to indicate their
possible contribution and extent of involvement, by replying by mid April
1995.
We look forward to your positive response and invite you to disseminate
the present letter and annexes to anyone you know who might be interested in
this project.
Accept, Dear Sir/Madam, the assurances of our highest consideration.
A. Laouyane
Director
Annex 1: The GTU: a model to be elaborated on the basis of your contribu
tion
Annex 2: The electronic conference: an open discussion on the tentative
model of the GTU
****************************************
Annex 1
~~~~~~~
The GTU
A model to be elaborated on the basis of your contribution
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This annex contains a list of topics/questions to be considered and
jointly discussed in the electronic conference opened to your contribution.
Your comments and contribution, as well as your suggestions about priorities
and additional topics, are most welcome (we kindly call your attention to
questions/sentences in [CAPITALS]
The round table meeting, to be held by the end of May 1995, will
finalize the discussion on these topics and take your additional suggestions
into consideration.
Purpose of the GTU
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The GTU's mission is to contribute to the development of human resources
in the telecommunication sector. A special emphasis is placed on engineering
and management training needs, arising from the changing environment in
developing countries, as a result of privatization, competition, the opening
to the market economy, joint ventures, the digitalization of networks and the
introduction of new technologies and services.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROPOSE ANY OTHER DEFINITION?
Potential Partners
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The GTU would be organized by pooling the existing resources available
in education and training telecommunication institutions. The latter would be
the major partners in this venture. Existing resources may take several
forms: human resources, training/educational material, teaching facilities and
additional services.
WHO IN YOUR VIEW, COULD BE THE GTU'S POTENTIAL PARTNERS, AND HOW DO YOU
EXPECT THEM TO PARTICIPATE?
GTU organizational matters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Structure
---------
The GTU's structure could possibly include:
_A Governing Council_: the supreme decision-making organ, composed
of representatives of the GTU partners, and/or,
_A Directorate_, responsible for the management at teaching,
administrative and financial levels, and/or,
_An Academic Board_, acting as advisory board to the Directorate.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF THE GTU'S STRUCTURE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD
ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
Administration
--------------
HOW CAN THE GTU BE BEST ADMINISTERED, FROM THE MANAGEMENT POINT OF
VIEW?
Legal status
------------
WHAT LEGAL ASPECTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, AND WHAT WOULD BE THE
GTU'S MOST SUITABLE LEGAL STATUS FOR THE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF
POTENTIAL PARTNERS?
Premises
--------
An extensive use of modern telecommunication technologies support-
ing distance education is envisaged. This option, however, does
not exclude the use of traditional campus-based activities, to be
possibly distributed in various locations in the regions.
WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER?
Finance management
------------------
IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT FINANCE MANAGEMENT ASPECTS NEED TO BE
CONSIDERED?
Cost/benefits issues
--------------------
WHICH COST-RELATED ASPECTS NEED CONSIDERATION?
HOW SHOULD COST AND BENEFITS BE SHARED AMONG THE VARIOUS PARTNERS?
GTU marketing operational matters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marketing of GTU services - clearing-house
------------------------------------------
HOW SHOULD GTU SERVICES BE MARKETED?
Services on finding financing sources
-------------------------------------
YOUR PROPOSALS?
Needs analysis
--------------
The GTU could actively conduct a needs-analysis survey and make
the results available to the GTU partners.
ANY SUGGESTIONS?
GTU academic operational matters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Target population
-----------------
The target population would be composed of engineers and managers
of telecommunication organizations in developing countries.
SHOULD TECHNICIANS BE CONSIDERED AS WELL?
Media
-----
The GTU would make extensive use of distance-teaching supporting
technologies, so that geographically scattered populations and
people with time constraints can also participate.
ANY COMMENTS ON THIS SUBJECT?
Quality assurance - Evaluation/field trials
-------------------------------------------
Quality assurance must be considered. However, it must be noted
that some materials or activities considered of good quality in a
country, might be considered of very low quality in other coun-
tries or under different conditions.
Several aspects have to be defined, for example:
o WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE EVALUATION?
o WHAT SHOULD BE EVALUATED: THE ACCESS, I.E., THE EXTENT OF
GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE, THE AVAILABILITY OF MEDIA NEEDED FOR
PARTICIPATION, THE RELEVANCE TO NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS, THE
LEARNERS OUTCOMES, EFFECTIVENESS, EFFICIENCY... ?
o HOW SHOULD THE EVALUATION RESULTS BE SHARED?
ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS?
Award of diplomas and certificates - Accreditation
--------------------------------------------------
o SHOULD THE PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS IN THE GTU COURSES BE
FORMALLY CERTIFIED?
o IF YES, SHOULD THESE CERTIFICATES INCLUDE AN EVALUATION OF
THE RESULTS ATTAINED BY THE STUDENTS?
o HOW SHOULD THESE CERTIFICATES BE RECOGNIZED BY THE DIFFERENT
ORGANIZATIONS?
Policy governing the admission to the courses
---------------------------------------------
Admission-related issues include prior financial assessment.
SHOULD THE GTU BE INVOLVED AT THAT STAGE?
Training/Educational material
-----------------------------
HOW SHOULD THE COURSES BE SELECTED, ADAPTED OR DEVELOPED?
****************************************
Annex 2
~~~~~~~
The electronic conference:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
an open discussion on the GTU tentative model
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This annex gives a brief overview of the GTU electronic conference
contents. It explains how to access it and how to submit your suggestions,
comments and contributions.
The working language for submitting contributions or suggestions should
preferably be ENGLISH. However, we welcome any answers in French and Spanish
as well.
The conference is organized as a set of topics, each related to a
specific aspect. You may provide your suggestions, comments and contribution
for each topic. Anybody accessing the conference will be able to read your
contribution and add his/her own further suggestions, comments and
contribution. In turn, you, other partners or ITU staff will further
contribute to the conference.
The conference current topics are the following:
Call for proposal
How to participate in the GTU electronic conference
How to access the conference
How to submit a contribution, comments, suggestions
Additional issues to be discussed
Purpose of the GTU
Potential Partners
GTU organizational matters
Structure
Administration
Legal status
Premises
Finance Management
Cost/benefits issues
GTU marketing operational matters
Marketing of GTU services - clearing-house
Brokering services on finding financing sources
Needs analysis
GTU Academic Operational Matters
Target Population
Media
Curriculum
Quality Assurance - Evaluation/Field Trials
Award of diplomas and certificates/Accreditation
Policy governing the admission to the courses
Training/Educational material
Tentative agenda of the GTU round-table (May 1995)
As you can see, most topics are reported in The GTU - a model to be
elaborated on the basis of your contribution , with the few following
additional items:
Call for proposal
-----------------
This topic, the very first in the conference, contains a copy of the
invitation letter that you have received, so that the people accessing the
electronic conference who have not received the letter are aware of the
context.
Tentative agenda for the GTU round-table meeting (May 1995)
-----------------------------------------------------------
ITU plans to hold a round-table with the potential partners in the GTU.
In principle, all the topics of this electronic conference will be developed
in the round-table, building up on subjects discussed here.
Priorities have to be identified, as well as additional items to be
dealt with in the round table. The agenda will then be set up.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS ON THIS SUBJECT?
How to participate in the GTU electronic conference
---------------------------------------------------
This topic contains a few basic instructions on how to access the
conference, how to submit a contribution, comments, suggestions. There is a
sub-topic area where you may add your suggestions for modifying the conference
structure (add new topics to be discussed).
----------------------------------------------
Accessing the GTU electronic conference
---------------------------------------
The best way to access the electronic conference, is via the so called
"Gopher service on the Internet. You should point your gopher to (the root
of):
Host=info.itu.ch
----------------
Port=70
-------
You will find the conference by selecting the following sequence of menus:
ITU Telecommunication Development Sector/
Field Operations Department/
Electronic conferences/
GTU electronic conference
Alternatively, you can access TIES, the ITU Telecom Information Exchange
System that has a Gopher interface. It will let you access the conference, by
following the same previous sequence of menus
TIES can be accessed in the following ways:
TELNET
------
TIES Public Services (login as 'gopher')
gopher.itu.ch
X.25
----
Call the X.25 DTE address, on TELEPAC, the Swiss PSPDN
#228468111112
where # is local prefix for international routing.
DIAL-UP
-------
+41 22 733 7575 (Swiss telephone number)
Recommended for Western Europe only. Supported modem protocols include ITU-T
(CCITT) V.21, V.22, V.22bis, V.32, V.32bis, V.42, V.42bis Recommendations,
Bell212A and MNP 2, 3, 4, 5. Basic settings should be no parity, 8 data bits
(necessary for on-line reading of multilingual material), speed 300 to 14,400
bps.
Submission of a contribution to the GTU electronic conference
-------------------------------------------------------------
In order to submit your contribution, or to make suggestions or comments to
the conference, please send an e-mail message to GTU_INFO@ITU.CH.
To ensure that information is properly directed, please specify: "SUBJECT: GTU
CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTION". In the body of your message, the first line should
contain the heading of the topic to which you wish to contribute, followed by
the text of your contribution proper.
For more information
--------------------
For additional information, or if you have any questions, please contact:
Via e-mail: GTU_INFO@ITU.CH
Fax: +41-22 730 5484 (please specify: subject: GTU info)
Telephone: +41-22 730 5428
+41-22 730 5421
+41-22 730 5429
By mail: International Telecommunication Union
Telecommunication Development Bureau
FOP/HRD Division
Place des Nations
CH 1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland