Open Courseware Impact on Global Education 2004-10-25   Title: Open Courseware Impact on Global Education Dear Vice Minister Xinsheng Zhang, Dear Vice Mayer Shanlu Zhu, Chairman Weifang Min, Dear scholars and guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon! It is gratifying to have an opportunity to attend the 15th IMUA (International Meeting of Universities Administrators) and meet these distinguished guests in China, one of today's vibrant countries, and in Beijing, a city with a long history of culture. On behalf of IET Educational Foundation and CORE, China Open Resources for Education, I would like to welcome you and wish you great success at this conference. In this increasingly interconnected world with advanced technology and communication, education beyond mere knowledge becomes more important. Character development, ethics, sharing of resources, and social conventions may need to receive more attention in higher education. IETE Foundation has been working in China for more than ten years alongside 26 elite universities to support higher education, in awarding scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students and junior faculty, as well as sponsoring initiatives such as the University of the 21st Century Presidents' Forum held during the centennial celebration of Beijing University, the University Presidential Award, and the founding of CORE. CORE, China Open Resources for Education, was formed at the end of last year. Its mission is to enhance the quality of education in China through promotion of open sharing. CORE is making open courseware available in China through translation and localization of courses from MIT and other international universities and sharing quality Chinese courses globally. We have a founding membership of 70 universities having an enrollment of 5 million students. Our program consists of translation and quality control, training and seminars, 12 Lead Universities, a Chinese- and English-language website, and an annual meeting. We have over 20 international member universities and certainly welcome you to join us. Thank you!   close