UNU Update: Norway backs virtual university

The Norwegian Government is contributing US $2 million towards the creation of a new UN University unit responsible for developing the Global Virtual University (GVU). The announcement was made by Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The new unit will be located at UNEP/GRID-Arendal and will be implemented by a core partnership between UNEP/GRID-Arendal, Agder University College and UNU. The partners will establish the international network of cooperating universities.

Norwegian Ambassador Jon Beck (left) announces his country's
contribution to the Global Virtual University at a press conference
during the Johannesburg Summit. Also pictured (from left) State
Secretary Gunnar Kvassheim, UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel and UN
Environment Programme Deputy Executive Director Shafquat Kakakhel.

UNU Rector Hans van Ginkel welcomed the support of the Norwegian Government and stated: "This new initiative will build upon the work of the UNU on the virtual university which has been on-going since 1996. In particular, we see it has a great opportunity to harmonize the use of the best available educational technologies with high-quality course contents from UNEP/GRID and the UNU."

The studies will increase people’s sensitivity to and involvement in finding solutions for environment and development problems, develop expertise to understand the potential and limits of the environment and foster ethical awareness, values and attitudes. Courseware will be developed in a collaborative, global network of academic institutions, and the studies will be on-line and decentralized, with a focus on developing countries.

Ernst Håkon Jahr, the Rector of Agder University College, says: "GVU will expand our existing international network of universities and improve our capacity in e-Learning.”

During the initial phase, the UNU operating unit in Norway and UNEP/GRID-Arendal will establish the GVU and provide course materials based on their activities. The GVU will grow into a network organization focused on e-Learning and building competencies related to sustainable human development in developing countries through partnerships with cooperating universities and research organizations.

New information and communication technologies will be used to bridge the digital divide and to deliver up-to-date access to quality learning across wide geographic regions at reasonable costs.

	UNU Update
	The newsletter of United Nations University and its network of research and training centres and programmes
		Issue 20: October 2002