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Universitas 21 Global is an independent institution with headquarters in Singapore, established as a joint venture between Universitas 21 and the Thomson Corporation. Universitas 21 is an incorporated association of leading universities from 10 countries, including HKU, committed to international collaboration, cooperation and exchange as a means of strengthening the range and impact of their international activities. The Thomson Corporation is a major publisher of educational materials and one of the world's largest providers of online information and solutions.
Universitas 21 Global will enrol its own students from around the world and award its own degrees and diplomas, but only on the basis that all its academic programmes and processes are accredited by U21 Pedagogica, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universitas 21. The academic reputation of Global's awards is thus linked via U21 Pedagogica to the international standing of the Universitas 21 universities. The names and logos of these universities will appear on every Universitas 21 Global degree certificate.
U21 Pedagogica has brought an uncompromising rigour to the accreditation of the Universitas 21 Global MBA. Advised by a panel of international experts in MBA education, U21 Pedagogica conducted an accreditation process over several months before giving formal approval for the Universitas 21 Global programme to proceed. Working with leading scholars from Business Schools around the Universitas 21 network, Universitas 21 has produced a programme that, according to Pro-Vice-Chancellor John Spinks of HKU, "is up to the high standards expected of universities like HKU, and we will continue to work, through U21 Pedagogica, to ensure that the standards of all aspects of the programme continue to be of this quality".
"This has been a wholly reassuring experience," according to Professor John Hood, the current Chair of Universitas 21. "No Universitas 21 institution would have been willing to associate its name and reputation with anything other that the highest standards of academic quality and practice. U21 Pedagogica has upheld those processes in accrediting this MBA programme."
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks said, "This is one of the most important developments in international collaboration for the provision of online degrees that has been seen around the world. It again shows HKU to be part of the international academic map, not simply because of the magnitude and quality of the cooperation amongst top universities, but because this mode of education is not limited by national borders. Around 13,000 students have already expressed an interest in studying for this degree after initial advertisements, and market research shows that the major factor in this decision to sign up was the quality of the universities committed to the project." Initial marketing was directed at some of the South-East Asian countries, and Mainland China.
The demand for the kind of high quality MBA that Universitas 21 Global will offer comes from the people who cannot consider an on-campus MBA. "This is a completely different venture to the campus-based MBA programme, and caters for a quite different group of learners", says Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks. "It will, of course, set comparable intellectual challenges, and we are assured of the richness of online materials, including relevant case studies, research materials and access to the best online resources. The pedagogy will emphasize teamwork and problem solving. But HKU, as an international university, is committed to help build capacity in other areas of the world, and this is an excellent opportunity to bring high quality educational opportunities to those qualified and motivated individuals who do not have access to a campus based quality university, because of financial, geographic, family or employment circumstances."
HKU welcomes this opportunity to collaborate with university partners around the world in helping to address the massive problem of global educational inequity. Within less than a decade, it is estimated that, even allowing for a 40 per cent increase in campus-based enrolments, there will be around 100 million people worldwide fully prepared educationally for university study, but who cannot, or do not wish to have, access to a campus-based university place. Unless high quality online alternatives become available in the near future, such educational deprivation will create a massive and intractable problem in much of the developing world, and lack of access to higher education and advanced training will prevent many developing societies engaging constructively in the emerging knowledge economy.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks said, "HKU would also benefit from our staff being able to access information and monitor developments in online technologies and pedagogies through interactions with Universitas 21 Global."
Enquiries should be directed to Professor John Spinks or the Registrar of HKU, Mr. Henry Wai.(tel: 2859 2438).
THE LAUNCH OF THE UNIVERSITAS 21 GLOBAL MBA
28 May 2003
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) welcomes the announcement that Universitas 21 Global is now beginning to enrol students in its first academic programme, an online MBA, which is ready to commence teaching on 28 July 2003 (http://www.u21global.com/aboutus/newsroom/pr02_2705.shtml). After years of development, this is an important step in Universitas 21 Global’s plans to establish itself as a major online provider of high quality education.
Universitas 21 Global is an independent institution with headquarters in Singapore, established as a joint venture between Universitas 21 and the Thomson Corporation. Universitas 21 is an incorporated association of leading universities from 10 countries, including HKU, committed to international collaboration, cooperation and exchange as a means of strengthening the range and impact of their international activities. The Thomson Corporation is a major publisher of educational materials and one of the world's largest providers of online information and solutions.
Universitas 21 Global will enrol its own students from around the world and award its own degrees and diplomas, but only on the basis that all its academic programmes and processes are accredited by U21 Pedagogica, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universitas 21. The academic reputation of Global's awards is thus linked via U21 Pedagogica to the international standing of the Universitas 21 universities. The names and logos of these universities will appear on every Universitas 21 Global degree certificate.
U21 Pedagogica has brought an uncompromising rigour to the accreditation of the Universitas 21 Global MBA. Advised by a panel of international experts in MBA education, U21 Pedagogica conducted an accreditation process over several months before giving formal approval for the Universitas 21 Global programme to proceed. Working with leading scholars from Business Schools around the Universitas 21 network, Universitas 21 has produced a programme that, according to Pro-Vice-Chancellor John Spinks of HKU, "is up to the high standards expected of universities like HKU, and we will continue to work, through U21 Pedagogica, to ensure that the standards of all aspects of the programme continue to be of this quality".
"This has been a wholly reassuring experience," according to Professor John Hood, the current Chair of Universitas 21. "No Universitas 21 institution would have been willing to associate its name and reputation with anything other that the highest standards of academic quality and practice. U21 Pedagogica has upheld those processes in accrediting this MBA programme."
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks said, "This is one of the most important developments in international collaboration for the provision of online degrees that has been seen around the world. It again shows HKU to be part of the international academic map, not simply because of the magnitude and quality of the cooperation amongst top universities, but because this mode of education is not limited by national borders. Around 13,000 students have already expressed an interest in studying for this degree after initial advertisements, and market research shows that the major factor in this decision to sign up was the quality of the universities committed to the project." Initial marketing was directed at some of the South-East Asian countries, and Mainland China.
The demand for the kind of high quality MBA that Universitas 21 Global will offer comes from the people who cannot consider an on-campus MBA. "This is a completely different venture to the campus-based MBA programme, and caters for a quite different group of learners", says Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks. "It will, of course, set comparable intellectual challenges, and we are assured of the richness of online materials, including relevant case studies, research materials and access to the best online resources. The pedagogy will emphasize teamwork and problem solving. But HKU, as an international university, is committed to help build capacity in other areas of the world, and this is an excellent opportunity to bring high quality educational opportunities to those qualified and motivated individuals who do not have access to a campus based quality university, because of financial, geographic, family or employment circumstances."
HKU welcomes this opportunity to collaborate with university partners around the world in helping to address the massive problem of global educational inequity. Within less than a decade, it is estimated that, even allowing for a 40 per cent increase in campus-based enrolments, there will be around 100 million people worldwide fully prepared educationally for university study, but who cannot, or do not wish to have, access to a campus-based university place. Unless high quality online alternatives become available in the near future, such educational deprivation will create a massive and intractable problem in much of the developing world, and lack of access to higher education and advanced training will prevent many developing societies engaging constructively in the emerging knowledge economy.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Spinks said, "HKU would also benefit from our staff being able to access information and monitor developments in online technologies and pedagogies through interactions with Universitas 21 Global."
Enquiries should be directed to Professor John Spinks or the Registrar of HKU, Mr. Henry Wai.(tel: 2859 2438).
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