The Virtual University: From Turf to Surf-Same Journey
Different Routes
© Dr Lalita Rajasingham
Senior Lecturer in Communications
School of Information Management
Victoria University of Wellington
New Zealand
Email:lalita.rajasingham@vuw.ac.nz
Abstract
The modern university developed in response to the needs of the industrial society and was enabled by the railways. The virtual university is emerging in response to the needs of the global knowledge society, and is enabled by the Internet. The core business of universities is the creation, storage, processing and dissemination of knowledge a primary factor of production and competitive advantage in the global economy. While the modern university responded to national needs, the virtual university will respond to the needs of an increasingly interconnected, multicultural, multilingual and globalised world. As a means of addressing the pressures of rising enrolments and increasing fiscal constraints, universities worldwide are assuming virtual dimensions to address the issues of globalisation itself. This article examines some implications.
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