UNIVERSITIES TOLD TO CATCH THE E-WAVE - The increasing role of technology in today's educational environment recently prompted the United Kingdom to form a group consisting of members from the island's four higher education funding bodies - the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Higher Education Funding Council for Scotland, and the Department of Education Northern Ireland - to discuss proposals to create an e-university able to offer online courses of study leading to an entirely Internet-based degree. Although details of the institution have yet to be worked out, it is expected that the e-university will offer courses through several separate UK universities managed by a central body, a system that would eliminate the need to create an entirely new, self-contained establishment. The e-university will most likely attract overseas students and working adults seeking professional advancement, though some group members hope UK students unable to attend universities because of working hours will also attend. Hefce plans to ask the government for the estimated 50 million pounds necessary to start the online institution, which will subsequently be funded entirely by tuition costs. (BBC News Online, 15 Feb 00 Ð Edupage 17 Feb 00)

SWAPPING DISTANCE LEARNING FOR PEACE? - National governments may have been knocking heads at the recent global economic summit in Davos, Switzerland, but corporate diplomacy was humming right along. Bill Gates and Rajendra Pawar, chairman of Microsoft's training partner, NIIT, brokered a series of meetings between Indian state-level leaders and top officials of the US government and the World Bank. The Indian leaders asked for US help with distance learning and electronic governance. The next day it was announced that President Clinton will visit India in March. The visit could result in important training and technical assistance opportunities for US universities, but its course may not be smooth. President Clinton hopes to mediate a peace agreement between India and Pakistan, a proposal which India's Hindu nationalist government has already rejected. However, it may not be coincidental that the state leaders entertained at Davos are all partners in the ruling coalition. Will the prospect of distance learning aid produce a change of heart towards Pakistan? We'll soon find out. (Distance Learning News Ð UCEA 17 Feb 00)