Setting Up Open Universities

Abstract

During the next forty minutes or so that we have, I will divide my presentation into three parts: // 1. I will briefly reiterate some points to those you may have already heard about in terms of key planning and implementation considerations once the decision has been made to start, say, an open university or a distance education system. // 2. In the second part, I would like to discuss with you the case study of the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong; I chose the OLI for three reasons: (i) in some ways it is unique in the manner in which it handled curricular issues; (ii) its financial arrangements are challenging and perhaps characteristically Hong Kong; and (iii) most importantly, I have personal knowledge of the organisation and therefore I can share with you insights into lessons to be learnt from that experience. // 3. In the third part, I will present to you a video programme looking at the OLI five years after its launch to see how far the objectives of the community, the planners and the managers have been accomplished.