New Technology for a New Century
International Conference 
 FIG Working Week 2001, Seoul, Korea 6–11 May 2001

Abstracts

VISION FOR UNIVERSITIES - A 5-10-YEAR PERSPECTIVE

Prof. Esben MUNK SØRENSEN, Denmark

Key words: 

Abstract

At present the institutions of higher education are facing considerable challenges in consequence of the development of communication technology during the last ten years. From the mid-80s and till today there has been a permanent development of new technological tools. The development of the coming years will imply still simpler and more powerful tools for communication and with that also learning. The access to knowledge and with it acquisition of competence gets more transparent and democratic and will, at the same time, liberate qualifying further education from the historically conditioned unified connection to nation states and their institutions.

Contents

Introduction

  • Changed patterns of communication
  • Changed qualification requirements
  • Still an independent function as university

Specific challenges for the institutions of higher education

  • Standardising of graduations
  • European Credit Transfer System
  • Increased international competition
  • More focus on communication and learning

The readiness of change at AAU

  • 25 years of continuous change and development
  • New educational initiatives are born all the time
  • The IT Innovation

A vision for the university: AAU in 5-10 years

  • The independent and accessible quality
  • Global scientific networks
  • The local university
  • The new tasks
  • Vision about being the best in selected areas
  • Vision about forming part of international networks
  • Increased accessibility of research results and documentation
  • More focus on personal resources
  • The students and research-based learning in focus
  • All documentation and learning resources are documented on the network
  • All at the university are "wired" - all the time
  • New reviewed media/periodicals on the network
  • Differentiation of the research duty
  • Beautiful local surroundings with space for physical gathering and being together

Conclusion

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Esben Munk Sørensen is a chartered surveyor, M.Sc., Ph.D. and research professor at AAU, Department of Development and Planning and the Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Hørsholm. Has for a number of years been working in practice with the development and running of distance education (Master of Technology Management in Geoinformatics).

CONTACT

Prof. Ph.D. Esben Munk Sørensen
Aalborg University
Department of Development and Planning
Fibigerstraede 11
DK-9220 Aalborg
DENMARK
Fax + 45 98 15 65 41
E-mail: [email protected]

23 March 2001

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