Report on
Fact-Finding and Assessment Trip
To Create Global University System/Altai Mir
(Grant Number: W06-0007)

  

(Web Version, December 1, 2006)

  

To be submitted to:
The Eurasia Foundation
1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20036

 

November 27, 2006

 

Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E.
Chairman, GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A. (GLOSAS/USA)
Founder and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of Global University System (GUS)
43-23 Colden Street, #9L
Flushing, NY 11355-5913
Tel: 718-939-0928
utsumi@columbia.edu
http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/
Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676


Acknowledgement

The writer acknowledges the strong teamwork of the following consultants for this project; 

Carol Hiltner
Linda Hawkin Israel
Marina Tyasto

 

Disclaimer 

This project was conducted with a fund given from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Eurasia Foundation.  However, the views and opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily represent both of them.

 

Notice 

Effective December 1st, 2006,
the name of GUS/Altai Mir will be changed to GUS/Siberia.


Contents

I.      Global University System

II.     Unique Advantages for Starting GUS/Altai Mir

 

1.   Intellectual Capital of Russia

 

2.   GLORIAD

 

3.   Japanese Funding

III.   General Remark on Fact-Finding and Assessment

IV.   Working Groups and Proposed Directions

 

1.   Infrastructure

 

 

1.1     Description

 

 

1.2     Proposed Future Direction

 

 

1.3     Action Plan

 

2.   Global E-Learning

 

 

2.1     Description

 

 

2.2     Proposed Future Direction

 

 

2.3     Action Plan

 

3.   Global E-Healthcare/Telemedicine

 

 

3.1     Description

 

 

3.2     Proposed Future Direction

 

 

3.3     Action Plan

 

4.   Community Development

 

 

4.1     Description

 

 

4.2     Proposed Future Direction

 

 

4.3     Action Plan

 

5.   Globally Collaborative Research and Development

 

 

5.1     Description

 

 

5.2     Proposed Future Direction

 

 

5.3     Action Plan

References

Related gu-new listserve distributions

 

ANNEX 0:

Press Release, August 22, 2006
“New Distance-Learning University Slated for Altai”

ANNEX 1:

Records of Fact-Finding and Assessment Trip

ANNEX 2:

A Proposal for an Educational Project on Implementing a Joint Russian-American Educational Program

Dr. Igor N. Dubina, Associate Dean for Research and International Cooperation
Associate Professor of Economic Information Systems, Economics Faculty
Altai State University

ANNEX 3:

Assessment on Community Health, Altai Republic

Linda Hawkin Israel

ANNEX 4:

Telemedicine in the Russian Federation: Challenges, Assets and Opportunities

Alexander V. Karpov, Dean of International Medical Education
Novosibirsk State Medical University

ANNEX 5:

Public Forum: Capacity building in Good Urban Governance

Dr. Leonid K. Bobrov, Vice Rector of Foreign Affairs
Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management

ANNEX 6:

Creative Climate in Altai Firms and Innovative Potential of Altai Region and Republic of Altai: Assessment, Analysis, Activation, and Effective Realization

Dr. Igor N. Dubina, Associate Dean for Research and International Cooperation
Associate Professor of Economic Information Systems, Economics Faculty
Altai State University

ANNEX 7:

Suggestions on Planning Activity

Tatiana S. NOVIKOVA Ph.D., Dr. Sci.
Head of Finance and Tax Policy Department
Business Administration Faculty
Novosibirsk State Technical University

ANNEX 8:

List of Participants at Conference at the Government of Altai Republic
(September 6th and 7th)

ANNEX 9:

Support Letters (In a separate folder)

ANNEX 10:

Financial Report (In a separate folder)

 

 

I.       Global University System

Global University System (GUS) [Utsumi et al, 2003] [Utsumi, 2005] aims to create a worldwide consortium of universities and healthcare institutions to provide the underdeveloped world with global e-learning and e-healthcare/telemedicine across national and cultural boundaries via broadband Internet technologies for global peace. The aim is to achieve “education and healthcare for all,” anywhere, anytime and at any pace. Education and job skills are the keys in determining a nation’s wealth and influence.

GUS has task forces working in the major regions of the globe with partnerships of higher education and healthcare institutions.  Learners in these regions will be able to take their courses, via advanced broadband Internet, from member institutions around the world to receive a GUS degree.  These learners and their professors from participating institutions will form a global forum for exchange of ideas and information and for conducting collaborative research and development with emerging global GRID computer network technology.

Modern e-learning and telemedicine require high-speed access to the World Wide Web.  Multi-media requirements might include two-way audio, full-motion videoconferencing up to MPEG4 quality, television-quality netcasting, and high-resolution image transfer for telemedicine.  The objective of increasing quality of audio/video delivery, high interactivity, and broadband throughput can be seen as a global objective of closing the digital divide to improve e-learning and e-healthcare services in rural/remote areas of developing countries.

As diagrammed in Figure 1, GUS programs and services will be delivered via regional satellite hubs, typically located at a major university, that connect via high-speed satellite (~ 45 Mbps) to educational resource cites in the E.U., U.S., and Japan.  In a sense, the regional satellite hub is to be the major Internet Service Provider (ISP) for not-for-profit organizations in the region and the gateway to the outside world.  The major university may also be connected to very high speed broadband Internet, as similar to the optical fiber network at 3 Gbps of the Multimedia Broadband Internet (MBI) of the Ethiopian government.

Regional hubs link to branch campuses or other regional educational institutions via micro-wave (~ 45 Mbps) over relatively short distances (25-50 miles).  Communication from the hub and branch campuses to local sites, over distances up to 10 miles, is to be achieved by spread-spectrum wireless (~ 2-10 Mbps) Internet networks, which do not require licenses in most countries.

The buildings with a broadband Internet connection will then also become relay points for the low-cost “Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)” networks at 10 Mbps that are now rapidly appearing in Japan, USA and Europe.  This advanced wireless communication with laptop computer will make e-learning possible for anyone, anywhere, and anytime with capabilities of Internet telephony, fax, voice mail, e-mail, Web access, videoconferencing, etc.  This is not only to help local community development, but also to assure close cooperation among higher, middle and lower levels of education.

 

Figure 1

 

II.      Unique Advantages for Starting GUS/Altai Mir

1.   Intellectual Capital of Russia

Even though Novosibirsk is located far out into Siberia, there are many notable higher educational, research and healthcare institutions, as being the intellectual capital of Russia.

2.   GLORIAD

The excess capacity of the Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD) fiber-optic communication network, which already has a node in Novosibirsk, will be available for use by the GUS/Altai Mir after appropriate agreements with the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science.  This currently has 155 Mbps, which is to be upgraded to 622 Mbps by the end of 2006, and then to 2.5 Gbps in the near future.

 

3.   Japanese Funding

Russia is not eligible for the general Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) fund.  However, a key person of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (whose educational background is medical doctor), is a high-ranking officer of the Russia-Japan Association of Telemedicine (or such name).  When the writer of this report met him several years ago, he indicated his strong interest to support e-healthcare and telemedicine in Siberia.

III.    General Remark on Fact-Finding and Assessment

We were overwhelmed with astonishing interest in our project at all the levels of governments, municipalities, higher educational and healthcare institutions — our meeting was even televised throughout entire Russia by a national TV program from Moscow!!

Even though optical fiber networks have been emanated from Novosibirsk to nearby satellite cities, there weren’t much awareness of the advantages and benefits of GLORIAD yet not only in Novosibirsk but also in those cities.

The Internet connectivity through narrow band seemed to have been accomplished in most areas, except remote/rural locations.  However, those are mostly still slow at 56 Kbps via dial-up telephone access.

Subsequently, albeit long history of outstanding accomplishments with corresponding education through postal mail system (recently with accompanying distribution of multi-media CD-ROM), there aren’t many e-learning, not mention of global e-learning.

In the same token, there aren’t many use of e-healthcare information system in hospitals in remote/rural areas.

See more detail descriptions of this in ANNEX 1

IV.    Working Groups and Proposed Directions

We decided to form the following working groups:

1.     Infrastructure

1.1       Description

As mentioned in the above, this project has a distinctive advantage of utilizing excess capacity of already existing broadband Internet, i.e., GLORIAD, compared with other GUS projects in various developing countries in Africa and other regions, thanks to the initiation made by Greg Cole (a long-time friend of the writer of this report) and Prof. Fedotov of the Institute of Computational Technologies of Academy of Science.

This GUS/Altai Mir project will then mainly focus on the extension of the benefits using broadband Internet from the GLORIAD node in Novosibirsk to higher educational and healthcare institutions, and then, NGOs, etc., not only in Novosibirsk but also in other nearby regions, e.g., Barnaul, Gorno-Altaysk, etc.

The writer of this report observed that, in general, connectivity with narrow band Internet has been accomplished.  The use of broadband Internet is just beginning at a few institutions.  In order to accelerate its use, it seems that they need the content development with multimedia web teaching, high quality audio, video conferencing and joint R&D with virtual reality and GRID technologies with Beowulf mini super-computer (a cluster of PCs), etc.

Prof. Fedotov kindly suggested that the Siberia Academy of the Public Administration (SAPA) should become one of GLORIAD members.  This should be same not only the SAPA in Novosibirsk, but also its offices in nearby Siberian regions.  Also, as the SAPA being the secretariat of the GUS/Altai Mir, all of the affiliated higher educational and healthcare institutions and NGOs should also have the same benefit of the GLORIAD as the SAPA member offices in nearby regions.

1.2       Proposed Future Direction

(1)        The initial step for the SAPA office in Novosibirsk to be connected to the GLORIAD is to make an one-time payment of the US$20,000 GLORIAD membership, as similar to the Novosibirsk State Medical Academy which has already been a GLORIAD member with 155 Mbps connection.  The SAPA would still need a 300 meters optical fiber line, and the right-of-way permissions to lay it down along streets.  The SAPA may ask help of Vitaly Nikultsev of the Institute of Computational Technologies of Academy of Science for technical details on the connection of optical fiber line to the SAPA office.

This will let the SAPA be freed from accessing Internet at 56 Kbps, and to have outstanding videoconferencing system.  With such videoconferencing system, SAPA in Novosibirsk can communicate with its SAPA regional offices easily, which will also help the SAPA’s distance education program for students in various nearby regional towns and cities.  It will be more than the current procedures with hard-copy textbook and manuals and multimedia CD-ROM – see Addendum 1 of ANNEX 1.

(2)        The SAPA may then lay down optical fiber network around the SAPA offices in Novosibirsk — as similar to an elementary school we visited in Gorno-Altay, which has done with an intranet of coaxial cable at 10 Mbps.

(3)        The SAPA may then install WiFi base stations in various rooms so that students can access Internet via wireless approach — as similar to the Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management — as far as its use within an educational campus, it would not need to obtain a license on the frequency use.

This will proliferate the use of inexpensive laptop among students — for which the writer’s GLOSAS/USA may be able to help later.

(4)        Once this much is accomplished in the SAPA office in Novosibirsk, the SAPA may then do the same to the SAPA regional offices through the already existing optical fiber lines emanating from Novosibirsk to various nearby towns, e.g., Barnaul, etc.

(5)        The SAPA may also consider to deploy the so-called WiFi Cloud as covering entire city with installations of small antennas at every city blocks — see <http://makeashorterlink.com/?A540121DD> — as similar to New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Taipei of Taiwan, etc. -- though the SAPA may need to obtain its frequency allocation license.

(6)        The SAPA may then start considering to connect GUS/Altai Mir affiliating member institutions as same as the SAPA regional offices.

1.3       Action Plan

Construct a concept paper (say, 4 to 5 pages) along the above lines, and submit to the UNDP from the SAPA.

A rough budget (which will accompany with the concept paper) may firstly indicate only the step of the Item 1.2-(1) above, though we would, of course, certainly welcome further involvement of UNDP.

2.     Global E-Learning

2.1       Description

The GUS/Alta Mir will enhance e-learning to their students and life-long learners in their community for the development of technical and professional human capital and attendant enlightenment etc., and to ensure the sustainability of global e-learning via links with universities and other academic establishments in North America, Europe and Japan.

Learners will be able to take their courses from member institutions around the world to receive a GUS degree, thus freeing them from being confined to one academic culture of a single university or country.  These institutions also act as the knowledge center of their community for the eradication of poverty and isolation through the use of advanced Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs).

This working group is on the course exchange and credit transfer, as importing courses from North America and Europe, etc.  This category also includes e-governance, since it is for the training of public service personnel, as the SAPA has already been doing (but not for the deployment of information systems, such as drivers’ license system, etc.).

2.2       Proposed Future Direction

ANNEX 2 is a proposal for an educational project on implementing a joint Russian-American educational program with the goal of earning an internationally recognized degree in Altai Region and Republic of Altai by students at Altai State University (ASU).

2.3       Action Plan

Upon availability of fund with the use of the document in ANNEX 2, we will then configure the followings:

(1)      To invite American instructors to ASU to discuss with the facilitators at the ASU on the procedures of providing the e-learning courses,
 
(2)      To organize a workshop for a week, say, in Novosibirsk (probably next May), to have meeting of the desired course instructors with ASU facilitators, learner supporters and learners.  We believe that such face-to-face meeting would be crucial and vital necessity for the success of e-learning, which are often ignored. After having such face-to-face meetings with instructors and learners at the ASU locations, they can more intimately communicate through email and list with occasional videoconferencing. Also, the essence of education is not mere transfer of knowledge, but inheritance of wisdom, which can effectively be done with human contacts.

3.     Global E-Healthcare/Telemedicine

3.1       Description

GUS/Altai Mir will increase access to customized communications and related resources which mobilize and encourage hospitals and e-healthcare centres to use the Internet and hybrid technologies to provide patients online second opinion for various infectious and chronic diseases, including HIV/AIDS, polio, cancer, heart disease and other conditions. Existing university and community programs will help define communications and data management systems, which reduce obstacles to good health management.

Doctors will also be taught (through a train‑the‑trainers program) how to use computers effectively to order tests and drugs, which has been shown in studies to reduce medical errors and flag patient drug allergies. Nurses will also be taught to use computers to track patients as they go through the primary healthcare centers and hospitals.

Medical records will be computerized, including lab results, drug data and records of office visits in text files, which would be standardized in a format that can be shared. Crosscutting priority will be to encourage government and donors to develop incentives to encourage health administrators, doctors, health-workers to use the Internet.

This working group will work on the application of global e-healthcare/telemedicine in order to extend medical care from Novosibirsk to remote/rural area in nearby Siberian regions with the use of advanced Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

3.2       Proposed Future Direction

Referring to ANNEX 3 and ANNEX 4, this working group will construct a proposal for global e-healthcare/telemedicine project, which will be submitted for Japanese fund with endorsement letter from the Minister of Health of Russian Federation and high echelon Russian counterpart of the Russia-Japan Association of Telemedicine mentioned above.

3.3       Action Plan

We will raise fund for this group’s activities, especially for;

(1)      Continuing Medical Education (CME) program available from the US, though there may have some language difficulties,

We will then configure to organize a workshop, say, in Novosibirsk, to have meeting of the desired course instructors with the facilitators, learner supporters and learners.

(2)      Rector Ephremov of Novosibirsk State Medical Academy also requested us to locate some medical institutions in the US for cooperative relationship.

We will approach the following institutions on this matter:
a.      Columbia University
b.     The University of Michigan Health System
c.      Harvard Medical School
d.     University of Ottawa

4.         Community Development

4.1       Description

The ultimate goal of our GUS is to realize global peace as creating harmonious environment where youngsters around the world converse and intermingle each other with the use of advanced ICTs for promoting mutual understanding and friendship/trust.

Learners, faculties, and public policy makers can promote community development and many other advances at a local, regional and even on a global scale. GUS/Altai Mir consortium member institutions will act as the flagship of their community development, particularly on the facilitation of entrepreneurial initiatives for the creative economy of Knowledge Society in the 21st century.

This working group will deal with how universities can play leading role for their community development, particularly for NGOs in their community as extending the broadband Internet for their use.

For example, the Municipal Cultural Center Siberia-Hokkaido in Novosibirsk may be able to conduct daily high definition videoconferencing with its counterpart in Hokkaido in Japan — according to Prof. Fedotov, Japan will be a member of GLOLRIAD from next year.

The Project 3000 may also conduct mega-videoconferencing with its counterparts around the world without much cost.

4.2       Proposed Future Direction

During our fact-finding and assessment trip, the following parties are identified for this Community Development group:

(a) Siberian Educational-Consulting Center Connect,
(b) Siberian Center for Eurasian Projects,
(c) Municipal Cultural Center Siberia-Hokkaido
(d) Association of Nature Parks of Altai Republic
(e) Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management
(f) Altai State University.

As mentioned in the Section IV-1 above, the consortium members of the GUS/Altai Mir is to enjoy the benefits of utilizing broadband Internet through the GLORIAD.

This working group along with the project mentioned in ANNEX 5 will build a cadre of  ‘new urban governance’ politicians and professionals via the creation of a ‘Public Forum’ as a platform for promoting urban governance discourses (both face-to face and web-based), facilitating learning partnerships and for providing ongoing management support.

GUS/Altai Mir will also promote creative climate in Altai firms and innovative potential of Altai Region and Republic of Altai in the Knowledge Age of the 21st century with the project at Altai State University – see ANNEX 6.

In this regard, the followings may be excellent guidance:

(a) John M. Eger, San Diego State University
"Athens in the Information Age"
http://tinyurl.com/r78pk
 
(b) John M. Eger
“The Creative Community: Forging the Links between Art Culture Commerce & Community”
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y2B422BDD

 4.3       Action Plan

We will jointly raise fund for the project described in ANNEX 5 at the Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management, and for the project of ANNEX 6, especially to hold an International conference “Creativity Based Economy: Creativity and Innovation for Sustainable Economic Development” in June, 2008 in the town and resort of Belokurikha (The Altai Mountains).

5.         Globally Collaborative Research and Development

5.1       Description

The learners and their professors from participating institutions will form a global forum for exchange of ideas and information and for conducting collaborative research and development. Researchers in Altai region can partner with colleagues in more advanced countries, and perform joint collaborative research and development with the use of virtual reality/virtual laboratories on inexpensive Beowulf mini super-computers (clusters of PCs) for experiential/constructive learning and creation of knowledge through the emerging global GRID computer networking technology.

The project proposed by the Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) (see ANNEX 7) is to make policy analysis of social and economic development of the Republic of Altay in conditions of global interrelations and interdependence, held on the basis of economic and mathematical modeling methods.  This will be made with the interaction of institutes of Global University System and leading universities and the academic institutes of Novosibirsk and Moscow.

Institute of economy and organization of industrial production (IEOIP) of the NSTU, the leading institute in Russia dealing with economic and mathematical modeling, will cooperate with similar institutions abroad on the main research directions of the state regional policy, territorial management and complex development of Siberia.

This project would certainly contribute to the policy analysis on the social and economic development of Siberia, and particularly on the Gorno-Altaisk regional community development with the use of mathematical modeling method, i.e., simulation.  For example, they are on the issues of installing gas-pipe line from Tomsk to Gorno-Altaisk to China; of constructing hydroelectric dam in the Gorno-Altaisk (where there are 5 UNESCO heritage sites), and of increasing tourists of 400,000 in summer time in the Gorno-Altaisk where there are only 9,000 residents.  These are certainly not only inter-regional issues, but also international, thereby it is vital necessity to analyze them as interfacing dispersed simulation models in Siberia, Moscow, China, the U.S., and many other countries.

This project will then demonstrate integrated and synergistic approach among grassroots, government, university, stakeholder, etc.  Use of graphic info modeling/mapping and potentially "gaming" on key issues and potential solutions, even at high school levels, will assist each group's ability for standardized data gathering and situational analyses, projecting out potential outcomes for more informed decision making and activities. The beauty of this project is that it brings together most sophisticated university-based mathematical modeling techniques and experts and regular people who can then more easily see--at a glance--how issues and outcomes can impact and interact each other.

This project will then be "growing up" of local experts in use of all these tools for leadership development, in relation to strategic use of technologies themselves and cooperation among stakeholders for more effective advocacy, informed policy, public understanding and participation and concrete community development.  This project will firstly contribute to the analysis of social, economic and environmental development of the Republic of Altay with global relations and interdependencies.

5.2       Proposed Future Direction

The following organizations indicated their strong interest and willingness to participate in our Globally Collaborative Environmental Peace Gaming (GCEPG) Project [Utsumi,  2003] [Utsumi, 2006], for which the writer has been working for more than three decades in the past.  The project proposed by the NSTU can well be a part of this GCEPG and a good starting point.

(a)   The Millennium Institute [USA],
(b)  Research Committee 51 (RC51) of the International Sociological Association (ISA) at the University of Marburg [Germany],
(c)   Club of Rome [Belgium],
(d)  National School of Public Health [Greece],
(d)  Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA) [Netherlands],
(e)   GLORIAD at Oak Ridge National Laboratory [USA],
(f)   McLeod Institute of Simulation Sciences (MISS) at California State University at Chico  [USA],
(g)  Prof. Onishi in Japan with Futures of Global Interdependence (FUGI) model, the world largest econometric model [Japan],
(h)  Fedosov Dmitriy Borisovich, Deputy Director of the State Establishment, Ministry of Education, Science and Youth Policy, Republic of Altai,
(i)   TOBB Economics and Technologies University in Ankara, Turkey (invited), and many others.

The Millennium Institute <http://www.millenniuminstitute.net/> in Arlington, VA has indicated their willingness to participate in this project with their national system dynamics models of Bangladesh, China, Ghana, Guyana, Italy, Malawi, Somaliland, Tunisia, and the United States. The Millennium Institute also indicated their willingness to be the global center of our GCEPG project, as firstly organizing a planning workshop.

In contrast to other projects with GRID technology, our GCEPG is to devise asynchronous, interactive coordination of geographically dispersed, dissimilar simulation models of socio-economic-environmental system of participating countries, as taking into account of the following unavoidable conditions:

(a)   latency through narrow-band Internet
(b)  time differences among participating parties
(c)   head-scratching time.

This also has to take into consideration of the use of narrow bandwidth in developing countries. The goal of our project is to enhance education with the use of distributed computer simulation system around the world.

Main simulation methodologies to be used are:

(a)   System Dynamics — originated by Prof. Jay W. Forrester at MIT
(b)  Econometrics — originated by Prof. Lawrence Klein, an economic Nobel Laureate, at the University of Pennsylvania, and
(c)   Input-Output — originated by Prof. Wassily Leontief, an economic Nobel Laureate, at New York University

The final system is to have two tier system:

(a)   One for training young would-be decision makers in crisis management, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques basing on “facts and figures”
(b)  The other for helping decision makers construct a globally distributed decision-support system for positive sum/win-win alternatives to conflict and war

5.3       Action Plan

We will construct a concept paper which will be distributed to various funding sources (e.g., US National Science Foundation in Washington DC, New Eurasia Foundation and the UNDP in Moscow, etc.) for organizing a planning workshop either in Washington DC or at Novosibirsk State Technical University as soon as the fund availability.  We will discuss how to organize a database through which various dispersed, dissimilar socio-economic-environmental simulation models around the world would exchange pertinent data.

 

References

Utsumi, T., (2006), Executive Summary of GUS/Altai Mir Project: “Telemedicine and Distance Learning: Intersecting Community Health, Participatory Governance and ICT"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?H2EF2518D

Utsumi, T., P. T. Varis, and W. R. Klemm, (2003), "Creating Global University System"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2F23101

Utsumi, T., (2003), "Globally Collaborative Environmental Peace Gaming"
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E1D121E09

Utsumi, T. (2005), "Global E-Learning for Global Peace with Global University System," "Communication and Learning in the Multicultural World," University of Tampere, Finland, (Edited by Pekka Ruohotie), December 29, 2005
http://tinyurl.com/nevvj

Utsumi, T., (2006), "Globally Collaborative Innovation Network with Global University System," Paper for Learning Technology, IEEE Computer Society, Vol. 8, Issue 3, July, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/fuwg6

 

 

Related gu-new listserve distributions:

(04/19/06) Establishing GUS/Altai Mir in Siberia with broadband Internet of GLORIAD
http://tinyurl.com/y5u8hb

(08/23/06) Creating GUS/Altai Mir in Siberia, Russia
http://tinyurl.com/lt3cz

(09/21/06) (1) Fact-finding and assessment trip to create GUS_Altai Mir in Siberia and (2) Proposed direction for the Working Group on Infrastructure
http://tinyurl.com/pedfk

(09/23/06) Planning activity of the working group «Global Collaborative Research and Development» of GUS/Altai Mir
http://tinyurl.com/q7zuu

(09/26/06) GUS/Alti Mir; Working Group on Community Development
http://tinyurl.com/jvaf4

(10/01/06) (1) Super Course, (2) Working group on "Global E-Healthcare/Telemedicine" of GUS/Altai Mir
http://tinyurl.com/yl6p56

ANNEX 0

 

Press Release, August 22, 2006
“New Distance-Learning University Slated for Altai”

August 22, 2006
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Carol Hiltner: Carol@AltaiBooks.com

New Distance-Learning University Slated for Alta 

Planning for Global University System (GUS)/Altai Mir, a new distance-learning peace university, is underway in the Altai Republic in Siberia. A broad international coalition of universities, governmental agencies, community-based groups, and international nongovernmental organizations will meet in Novosibirsk, Barnaul, and Gorno-Altaisk in early September. The support for these planning sessions was provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Eurasia Foundation.

The multi-lateral task-force organized at the September meetings will spend the next nine months designing the curriculum and technological structure of the university, based on local needs and internationally recognized “best practices,” to access the Japanese funds, e.g., Official Development Assistance (ODA) and others, for telemedicine and distance learning infrastructure. GUS/Altai Mir will serve as a template for “Global Universities” in other Central Asian countries.

Global University System (GUS) founder Dr. Takeshi Utsumi describes his organization as, “a network of distance-learning universities using broadband internet and multimedia technology, with the objective of closing the digital divide to improve e-learning and e-healthcare services in rural/remote areas of developing countries.” E-learners could take courses from GUS affiliated universities around the world to get a degree from the GUS. Researchers in developing countries could also collaborate with colleagues in developed countries on high tech research and development using “grid” networking technology.

The immediate goal of GUS/Altai Mir is to develop a broadband internet infrastructure in rural regions of Altai, to be used initially for interactive e-healthcare systems, civil society-building programs, and e-learning. Collaborative research on “best practices” for both the technology and the curriculum will be supported at local and international universities.

Top-down technology development will build on the excess capacity of the Global Ring Network for Advanced Applications Development (GLORIAD) fiber-optic communication network, which already has a node in Novosibirsk, in cooperation with the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science.

However, GLORIAD provides much more than a network; it provides a stable, persistent, non-threatening means of facilitating dialog and increased cooperation globally. The jointly developed network, while highly practical, symbolizes a shared commitment in this new century towards an era of increased engagement and cooperation beginning with scientists, educators, and young people.

GLORIAD is at the forefront of the most advanced Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) supporting various contents for global e-learning and e-healthcare/telemedicine along with community development through wireless broadband Internet.

Such use of broadband would also have the capacity for globally collaborative “peace gaming” with a globally distributed computer simulation system through a global grid computer network, of special usefulness for the policy analysis on the environment and sustainable development in developing countries.

This is a computerized gaming/simulation to help decision makers construct a decision-support system for positive sum/win-win alternatives to conflict and war.  It can also be used to train would-be decision makers in crisis management, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques, as also, at the same time, fostering friendship and trust among them for global peace.

Rural connection points to fill in the grid will be developed by MAMAS (Mobile Assessment and Media Systems) as a Local Community Development Network (LCDN), with special attention to local, indigenous, gender-sensitive, and marginalized groups’ initiatives.

The Siberian Academy of Public Administration (SAPA) in Novosibirsk will act as secretariat for the new university, as well as providing leadership in civil society-building based on its existing, innovative outreach programs.

Participating Siberian universities include the Siberian Academy of Public Administration, Novosibirsk State Medical University, Novosibirsk State University, Gorno-Altaisk State University, Altaisky State University, and Novosibirsk State University of Architecture & Construction. Internationally, the University of Tampere in Finland, and Universities of Washington and Pittsburgh in the US are consortium members.

The long-term goal of GUS/Altai Mir is to preserve the unique indigenous culture of peace of the Altai region of Russia by providing of cultural and technological tools for sustainability. The National Peace Foundation is contributing its influence, resources, and connections as related to sustainable peace-building.

The headquarters of Global University System (GUS) is at the GUS/UNESCO/UNITWIN Networking Program at the University of Tampere, Finland.  GLOSAS/USA is the founder of GUS.

The project was initiated by Altai Peace International, whose mission is to support sustainability of the rich cultural and ecological heritage of the Altai Region, as an important global legacy.

The views and opinions expressed above do not necessarily represent those of the Eurasia Foundation and the USAID. Additional information can be found at http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS.

 


ANNEX 1

 

Records of
Fact-Finding and Assessment Trip 

(This record was mainly constructed by Carol Hiltner and Marina Tyasto.)

Grant Outputs, Potential Outcomes and Evaluation
Global Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the USA, Inc.
W06-0007

Global University System/Altai Mir Project 

This report contains the following information:

Outputs and Outcomes (ANNEX-1-2)

Indicators (ANNEX-1-4)

Key Findings (ANNEX-1-17)

Addendum 1: (ANNEX-1-18)

Outputs and Outcomes

Output/Outcome

Verifiable Evidence of Completion

·      Stakeholders are identified and formal agreement is signed for participation in GUS/Altai Mir planning

·      Working taskforces are formed

·      Plan and timeline for Japan ODA proposal is finalized, including division of tasks

·      Signed agreements between partners

 

 

·      Signed agreements that outline taskforces

·      Plan and timeline

 

·      Output/Outcome: Stakeholders are identified and formal agreement is signed for participation in GUS/Altai Mir planning
Verifiable Evidence of Completion: Signed agreements between partners

o      We have a signed letter from the GUS/Altai Mir “secretariat” Siberian Academy of Public Administration, Rector E. Boyko
o      We have the following signed letters agreeing to participate in the GUS/Altai Mir project
o      We have verbal commitment of support, but no letter yet from:
See ANNEX 9 for the received letters and their English translations.

·      Output/Outcome: Working taskforces are formed
Verifiable Evidence of Completion: Signed agreements that outline taskforces

o      The chairs for the five task forces have been selected.

·       Output/Outcome: Plan and timeline for Japan ODA proposal is finalized, including division of tasks

Verifiable Evidence of Completion: Plan and timeline
We are basing this timeline on the optimistic presumption that funding will be available as needed. Essentially, each capitalized bullet point below represents a discreet module that can be separately funded, allowing us to fund this as we go.
o      ASSESSMENT – ends Sept 15, 2006
o      PLANNING ends ~February 15, 2007

Indicators

List data to be collected and reported by the grantee.  Data must be verifiable by EF staff.

 Number of new coalitions, partnerships and/or collaborations.

One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the development of new coalitions, partnership, and collaborations between stakeholders. Representatives of organizations with a mission to share curricula and systems (such as universities) connected with an extraordinarily broad swath of NGOs, schools, hospitals, and governmental planners, fertilizing a new level of collaboration and sharing of resources even while we were still in Altai. We found the classic shortcoming of most grant programs to be common in Altai—when the grant runs out, the expensive new equipment gathers dust for lack of any system to sustain it. We will design GUS/Altai Mir with real-world, whole-system sustainability at the forefront.

List of New Coalitions, Partnerships and/or Collaborations

(Please note: Participants’ names are bolded the first time they are mentioned.)

I.         In the US

The following meetings in NYC and DC, prior to traveling to Russia, were primarily to establish relationships which would strengthen GUS and use of GLORIAD, linking Siberia, China, US and EU, initial theme for disaster avoidance, preparedness and response. Program will be affiliated with United Nations ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction). Following six months of intensive planning, Linda Hawkin Israel facilitated meetings, which could provide a strong health track for GUS, with potential participation by both Russian Academies of Science (Siberian Branch) and Chinese Academies of Science. University of Washington and GLORIAD-US are well positioned to support this agenda, featuring existing programs contracted with Chinese Academy of Science.

·       August 22-24, NYC

A.    Conference at NYU, Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response  
Objectives:
    • to co-host conference to aggregate best practice programs (university systems and women's grassroots programs) for network that will link US/Russia/China/EU efforts for community resilience, all-disaster prevention, preparedness, and utilizing GLORIAD and GUS.
    • to prepare for simultaneous team meetings in Novosibirsk, Siberia, and Harbin, China
 
Strategy:
    • to increase effectiveness of GLORIAD fiber-optic belt (for broadband internet) as it crosses China, Russia, and US. Project will help facilitate cooperation, under government protocols, with Chinese Academy of Science and universities in China, Russia, and US.
    • to demonstrate cost effective use of broadband, high frequency satellite “picture” radio (www.worldspace.com (note WS now licensed for China)), store/forward email, linkages to local radio broadcasting.
 
Institutional Partners:
    • NYU Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response, Large Scale Emergency Readiness  http://www.nyu.edu/ccpr/projects/lsmsr.html ,
    • George Washington University  (ISCRAM) http://www.gwu.edu/~icdrm/  
    • New Jersey Institute of Technology (ISCRAM) http://web.njit.edu/~mendonca/  
    • University of Washington (Center for Environmental Visualization) www.cev.washington.edu/
    • ISCRAM (International Community on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management) based in Tilburg, Netherlands, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Harbin College of Engineering, Harbin, China www.iscram.org
 
Attendees:
B.    Meetings at Huairou Commission Secretariat: Disaster Watch—international women's leadership (http://www.disasterwatch.net/Humanitarian%20groups/SEEDS.htm
Objectives:

·       August 25-28: Washington, DC

A.    WorldSpace Satellite (WS) Radio (www.worldspace.com)
Objectives:
Outcomes:
B.    National Peace Foundation: (www.npf.org ). Meeting with Co-director Tom Bertrand.
 
Objectives:
Outcomes:

II.            In Moscow,

Most meetings were attended by Dr. Takeshi Utsumi of Global University Systems, Carol Hiltner of Altai Peace International and project initiator, and Linda Hawkin Israel of MAMAS

Edem was very excited about GUS/Altai Mir. He was unavailable to meet with Tak and Linda, so Carol met with him on Friday, August 25th. He said that leftover funding from other programs was likely to be available from now until the end of the year. He explained how a major report could be compiled for about $50k, which amount he was pretty sure he could raise. He was immediately in contact with both Tak and Carol by e-mail. He asked for two things: 1) a concrete proposal immediately, so he could bring his colleagues into the funding effort, and 2) a better idea than Carol could give him about exactly how the Japan ODA funding would be arranged, and how likely it was (as a mathematical probability).
Links:   
    1. Steve Solnick of Ford mentioned UNDP HIV/AIDS program in Altai.
    2. Danil Mamyev, President of the Association of Nature Parks of Altai Republic is currently working with UNDP departments of Cultural Heritage and Environmental Protection.
    3. Tatiana Pahaeva works in UNDP office in Gorno-Altaisk and is willing to participate in GUS/Altai-Mir through the project “Protecting Bio-diversity in the Altai Republic.
    4. Distinguished visiting professor Adel Safty is preparing an application form and cover letter to UNESCO for a UNESCO Leadership Chair to be given to SAPA. On 21-22nd of September the presentation of UNESCO to Altai Republic took place and official national UNESCO Committee was established with Executive Secretary Tamara Sadalova. SAPA has contacted her about GUS/Altai-Mir project.
She mentioned interactive radio in North Caucasus, and Linda offered to put her in touch with the National Peace Foundation in that regard.
 
She recommended contacting:
    1. Elena Nikolaevna Gevorkyan in the federal Education Ministry 236-5257, 237-3080 (assistant) regarding international accreditation.
    2. Andrey Volkov in federal Education Ministry, who collaborates with G-8 (get contact info through Elena Gevorkyan).
    3. Edward Kurlyand at Barnaul State University, edk@uni-altai.ru; 3852-628-420; 3852-388-471
    4. European Commission
    5. Bill Newtonsmith, head of Higher Education Sub-board for Soros
    6. Jo Ritzen in Netherlands
    7. At MATRA, Linda Bjalsmith (Burean-Choss) in Ministry of Economy in Netherlands
    8. Moscow School of Socio-Economic Studies (funded by Soros)
    9. Marie Niven in Dept for Educational and Skills in Ministry of Education in UK
Linda stayed on in Moscow after the trip to Altai, during the week of September 15-21, and met again with Lena. They discussed the role of the British Council to support both English trainings and also (of real interest to Lena) potential for secondary school engagement in thematic community analysis (housing, health). Tools could include trainings for standardizing gathering of data and modeling in “gaming” format, in cooperation with university-based partners.

·       Thursday, August 31st, Tak, Carol, and Linda met with Andrey Kortunov, President, New Eurasia Foundation, 495-973-1567; METRO Kurskaya; 3/9 3rd Syromyatnichesky Per., Bldg. 1, 5th floor; www.neweurasia.ru, akortunov@neweurasia.ru. Andrey responded positively to Carol's input that while internet is readily available in much of Russia, rural communities still do not have necessary access and practical usage. He also showed special interest in potential for thematic simulation modeling as described by Dr. Utsumi, as tool for health/economic analysis and cooperative planning. Summary of meeting includes following potential contacts and actions:

  1. Andrey invited Tak to make a presentation next spring at the “Novgorod the Great” Conference on the topic of universities and local/regional communities
  2. Potential contact with the Mott Foundation regarding “community universities.”
  3. The Russian Federation has a new initiative, working in four directions: health, education, rural development and agriculture, and housing (later discussion re GUS/Altai Mir as proposed model in this larger context).
  4. Potential contact with Rosa Gurtemeuler, Carnegie program in Russia.
  5. Andrey is planning to be at a conference at the University of Washington in mid-October in Seattle, at the Ellison Center for Russian Studies http://jsis.washington.edu/ellison/. Linda will follow through to help consolidate UW and donor contacts to forward GUS/Altai Mir as model for larger program for Russia, China, Central Asia.  Upcoming conference jointly conducted by the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies of the University of Washington, the ISE Center of Moscow, and the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research (NCEEER)

During the week of September 15-21, after the Altai trip, Linda continued to work closely with Andrey to position GUS/Altai Mir into a larger national Russia/Central Asia framework and to begin planning for mid-October meetings in Seattle (see #5 above), with potential for GUS/Russia as a multiple site model with telemedicine and telehealth focus. This strategy emphasizes both GLORIAD (increased usage) and Japan ODA coordination with first line strategy to obtain endorsements from Japan/Russia Telemedicine Network.

·       Thursday, August 31st, Tak, Carol, and Linda met with Chris Cavanaugh, Director of IREX-Russia, www.irex.org, ccavanaugh@irex.ru, 495-956-0978. Khokhlovsky per., 13, bldg 1, 5th floor. IREX had a grant rfp that initially appeared to be a possible funding match—to support inter-regional coalition in changing public policy. This may be an eventual outcome of GUS/Altai Mir projects, but will not help us in putting together a grant proposal to Japan ODA. They have several granting cycles each year, so we will keep checking for programs that are a match.

.       September 15-19, Linda met with Sarah Harder and Olga Bessolova, National Peace Foundation (both leaders, innovators for women’s empowerment programs in Russia) to brief them on the fact-finding trip and to discuss strategic US cooperation (universities, donors), Russian regional opportunities, and synergy between existing NPF projects and GUS.

.       September 15-19, Pat Cloherty, Delta Private Equity Partners met with Linda to review potential for Delta future support of GUS as national project for university/community network regarding health.

http://www.deltacapital.ru/eng/press-room/publications/news-current.wbp?news-article-id=9B65C1DC-8C3D-4252-A33A-50A58810CB7D,  http://www.deltacap.ru/eng/index.wbp

At this time, there is not a match.

Moscow people contacted by Carol prior to Moscow meetings and sent proposal, press release, and explanatory letter with whom we did not meet:

Contact information for organizations/key people not reached:

CEP Grant Guidelines Grant proposals are reviewed by the Central Eurasia Project (CEP) three times a year: in the spring, summer, and late fall. Proposals must be submitted in English, and should follow the format indicated below. They should be submitted to Anu Kangaspunta-Garfield, akangaspunta@sorosny.org or by fax at 1-212-548-4607.

Contact information for organizations granting in Russia, but with offices in the US

Contact information for organizations inviting grant proposals from Russian organizations only:

  1. US Embassy Democracy Commission Small Grants Coordinator Natalia Ivanova mob:495-798-3106; Tel. 495-728-5242 (5365); ivanova@state.gov; Address: 8, Bolshoi Devyatinskiy Pereulok
  2. Yuri Shirokov, ISAR-Siberia Director, (3832) 21-89-24 e-mail: isarsib@mail.cis.ru

III.         In Siberia,

three regions will be involved: Novosibirsk, in which the GLORIAD high-speed broadband internet network has a node, and home to the most significant Russian scientific community outside of Moscow; Altai Region, immediately south of Novosibirsk; and the Autonomous Altai Republic, immediately south of Altai Region. The Altai Republic is home to the indigenous Altai people and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In all three regions, the rural areas are extremely undeveloped, for example, electricity is generally available, but indoor plumbing is rare. The people with whom we spoke have responsibility for the welfare of their communities, and understandably, they were very anxious to participate in GUS/Altai Mir. At all levels, everyone expressed their support for moving forward as quickly as possible. It is our most profound hope that we can find ways to do that.

In each of the three regions SAPA organized both overview meetings with large groups of stake-holders and individual meetings with key officials. Core group members Takeshi Utsumi, Carol Hiltner, Linda Hawkin Israel, and Marina Tyasto were accompanied to Altai by:

On Monday, September 4th in Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Region), we met with SAPA’s Rector Evgeny Boyko, SAPA Vice Rector Viktor Chernoskutov, and Vice-rector Larin, former advisor to Putin’s representative in Siberian Federal District based in Novosibirsk.

Marina Tyasto organized a large meeting of key stakeholders at SAPA.

o      Larin, Vice Rector on Administrative and Organizational Work
 
o      Nickolai Nickolaevich Taushkanov, Director of the Institute of Retraining of Specialists at SAPA, which is massively using distant learning technologies (case and Internet).
 
o      Rogachev Sergei Alexandrovich, Deputy Director of the Institute of Retraining of Specialists on Distance Learning.
 
o      Svyatoslav Pavlovich Kobuk, Director of the Interregional Center of Refresher Courses, at SAPA.
 
o      Irina Valentinovna Bryzgalova, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Theory, Director of the three-year University Partnership Project with Daniel Evans School, University of Washington “Teaching and Research in Microfinancing.”
 
o      Vera Nickolaevna Men’shova, Head of the Methodical Department of SAPA
 
o      Vladimir Georgievich Nalobin, Head of the Information/Technical Department of SAPA.

In subsequent correspondence, the following research direction was discussed:

1)     (03/27/06) Current status of our GCEPG Project and a workshop in Manassas, VA in June 2-3, 2006. http://tinyurl.com/pw6qu
2)     T. Utsumi. Creation of Globally Collaborative Innovation Network (GCIN) in Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Egypt, and later entire African region. Excerpted from Concept Paper Submitted to the Research on Knowledge Systems (RoKS) of the IDRC of Canada, June 15, 2006 http://tinyurl.com/pfq6f
3)     Millennium Institute’s comments regarding the GCIN project http://tinyurl.com/km89s
1)     System Dynamics—originated by Prof. Jay W. Forrester at MIT,
2)     Econometrics—originated by Prof. Lawrence Klein, an economic Nobel Laureate, at the University of Pennsylvania, and
3)     Input-Output—originated by Prof. Wassily Leontief, an economic Nobel Laureate, at New York University.
1)     One for training young would-be decision makers in crisis management, conflict resolution, and negotiation techniques basing on “facts and figures,”
2)     The other for helping decision makers construct a globally distributed decision-support system for positive sum/win-win alternatives to conflict and war.

Our meetings in Barnaul (Altai Region) on Tuesday, September 5th, were organized by Igor Anatolievich Panarin, Director of SAPA’s branch in Barnaul.

o      Elena Arturovna Vaigel, Assistant Director of Health Service Department of the Altai Region
 
o      Leonid Gidalyevich Shpits, President of Counselors Commission for the Altai Region
 
o      Igor Alekseyevich Puhovets, Director of Medical Information and Analyses Center
 
o      Valery Mikhailovich Bruhanov, Rector of Altai State Medical University
 
o      Aleksandr Nikolaevich Tushev, Vice Rector of Altai State Medical University
 
o      Aleksandr Vasilyevich Aladyshev, Head of Medical Informatics Department of Altai State Medical University
 
o      Sergey Nikolaevich Shafarenko, Expert of International Coordinating Council “Our Common Home Altai,” www.altaiinter.org. The Altai Mountains span the borders of four countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia. Sergey’s organization is a coalition with representatives from all four countries. He volunteered for the task force, “Globally Collaborative Research and Development.”

On Wednesday, September 6th in Gorno-Altaisk (Altai Republic), we spent the day meeting with key officials, as organized by SAPA Representative Tatiana Anatolievna Zharova:

Maternal health is a problem. The birth rate is up (which is frequently a symptom of unemployment and lack of birth control resources), and with it, the maternal mortality rate. And a 9-1-1 type heart program is also important.
o      He is knowledgeable about high-tech, worldly, and speaks fluent English. He was previously director of Telcom in St. Petersburg.
o      His mandate includes establishing a “supermarket” for business investors in Altai, providing competent negotiation, access to government, banking, and reliable consultants.
o      His group is currently inventorying the Telcom, and already has a plan in place.
o      He has determined that microwave transmission is optimal for connectivity in the Altai Republic (rather than optical fiber).
o      There is currently a national program to connect all schools to the Internet through Siberian TelCom. However, an Altaian operator could be used alternatively. Once in place, the system could be used for government or business.

·       Vladimir Filimonov, (38822) 2-27-86 minkultura@yandex.ru, and Natalia Koruevna Saimunova, Deputy Ministers of Culture told us that there is a new law applying to culture, so the specifics are still uncertain. They told us that the indigenous Altai people are keepers of an ancient culture—Turkic-speaking nations originated in Altai, including the Ainu of Japan (who live on Tak’s home island). The Ministry has mandate to:

  1. Maintain this “mother religion” for the Turkic family. They have “tons” of (degradable) audio tapes of their oral history—historical epics sung by throat-singers. They would use the technological resources of GUS/Altai Mir to digitize these materials, and put them on-line to be available to the world.
  2. Care for the vast wealth of archeological monuments. GUS/Altai Mir technological capability could support the mapping/cataloguing of these monuments that, to the Altai people, are a living part of their culture.
  3. Facilitate dialogue between cultures

·       At the office of Mayor Victor Alexeevich Oblogin of Gorno-Altaisk,  (38822) 2-20-73 admin-ga@mail.gorny.ru, we had a conversation with Lyudmila Alexeevna Suvorova, Head of Economics Department, Vladimir Evgenievich Iliynykh, Head of Internal Affairs, Sergei Korotkov, an assistant, and Aidar Sanashkin, Vice Mayor on Social Policy. Mayor Oblogin spoke about tourism development, specifically a planned mountain ski resort, and was especially interested in sister-city relationships with Japan, USA (Seattle, Alaska).

·       Andrei Nikolaevich Arkhipov, Ministry of Economic Development, External Affairs Department, arkipov@economy.gorny.ru, 38822-22582. Development of tourism is frequently mentioned. An alpine ski area is slated for development right above Gorno-Altaisk. (Other people, not Andrei, mentioned that currently, development of tourism has meant outright sale of prime pieces of property, including the ski area mountain and river-front along the Katun, to development companies from Novosibirsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, so the means for earning profits are passing out of local hands. On the other hand, the flood of tourism is upon them, and they lack capital to develop their own resorts.)

On Thursday, September 7th in the conference hall of the Altai Government, SAPA Representative Tatiana Anatolievna Zharova and Oleg Sergeevich Ageev, Vice Chair of the Government of Altai Republic, the Head of Apparatus, convened a large stakeholder meeting in Gorno-Altaisk. Five ministries were represented, plus the Committee on Entrepreneurship, Communications and Transportation. 

On September 7th in Russian Vesti was information about the presentation of GUS/Altai Mir Project.

On Friday, September 8th, we met with:

Informatics is taught at the school from the 2nd grade for hour each week. If there is an opportunity to buy cheap computers, the school would like to buy and some parents will buy for their children. Children from rural areas live in dormitories at this school – no computers, no internet. At computer classes they could do teleconferences.

Meetings in Novosibirsk during week of September 11-14:

IV.          Amsterdam

Linda proceeded to Netherlands for meetings on September 22-24 with:

Key Findings

Addendum 1:

Technology of distant education
at
Institute of Retraining (IR)
SAPA

Today the Institute of Retraining uses two technologies of distant education:

       Case-technology. The applied model of distant education of SAPA is based on students’ self-instruction. That is why it is obligatory to provide students with 100 % of hard copy manuals on all subjects. We use tutorials to provide students with consultations of different subjects, consultations on tests and to exam students.  

       Manuals are distributed among students both in hard copy form and electronic form. Development of computer technologies allowed to transfer all manuals into electronic form, but also to keep the necessary minimum of hard copies that are necessary to provide students who cannot take typed text. In future it will be possible to create different literature in electronic form and to put it both in the Internet and CDs using audio and video material, different illustrations for different subjects.

       Today any student can find any news, standard and organizational information, schedule of curriculum at the web-page of the Institute of Retraining. Organizing the exchange between electronic data-bases of SAPA and web-page of the IR we made it possible for our students to control their payments, look through marks, read comments of the tutors.  

       Internet (net) technology of training. We developed Internet (Net) technology of distant training for the most distant regions. We purchased the system of distant training Prometheus for that purpose. This program makes it possible to provide students with all manuals according to the curriculum. Tests that are included in the program allow students to organize education according to their free time. All organizational questions on educational process students can solve through the Internet, as well as students who are trained over the case-technology. Combining of the informational resources such as electronic databases, Prometheus, electronic dean’s office and web page of the IR allowed to organize and to provide education with information using communicational technologies.

       Director of the IR                                                 Mr. Nikolay Taushkanov

 

ANNEX 2

 

A Proposal for an Educational Project
on
Implementing a Joint Russian-American Educational Program

 

by
Dr. Igor N. Dubina
Associate Dean for Research and International Cooperation
Associate Professor of Economic Information Systems, Economics Faculty
Altai State University

The development of a distant learning system in the field of economics and business administration in Altai Region and Republic of Altai

Altai State University proposal for educational activities in the frame of the Global University System \ Altai project

The problem to be solved by the project: The geographical remoteness of Altai Region from international educational and research centers hinders people in their efforts to get high quality standard education and an internationally recognized degree.

The purpose of the project: This project will allow people from Altai Region and Republic of Altai to participate in a joint Russian-American educational program with the goal of earning an internationally recognized degree.

The project background: During 2000-2003, the Economics Faculty of Altai State University (ASU) participated in the innovative project on the improvement of economic education in Russian universities funded by the World Bank and administered by the National Fund of Training. Since that time, the faculty started working on distant forms of teaching and cooperating with international institutions. Recently, the Faculty cooperates with the University Paris II (France), Northampton University College (UK) and International Institute of World Development Studies (France) in the educational and research programs.

In May, 2006, Altai State University (ASU) and Broome Community College (BCC) of the State University of New York (SUNY) reached the agreement on cooperation to jointly create and implement a dual degree program designed for the attainment of an Associate Degree in the spheres of Business Management, Business Administration, Business Administration in International Business, and Business Administration in Marketing.

According to the agreement, students who successfully complete the program can get one of two Associate Degrees: an Associate of Applied Science or an Associate in Science (designed for transfer to a four-year university) in accordance with the degree requirements of BCC-SUNY.

This project proposed in the frame of GUS/Altai will help to start and implement this Russian-American educational program in Altai Region and in Altai Republic.

Methods: ASU has 5 university branches all over the Altai Region territory. The main campus of ASU is in Barnaul, the administrative center of Altai Region. The branches are in Biysk, Rubzovsk, Kamen-na-Obi, Slavgorod, Mikhailovskoe.

Students of ASU who study in Barnaul or in the branches of ASU will be able to participate in the dual degree program. Students participating in the program will be able to transfer up to 45 credit hours from ASU to BCC-SUNY. For the Associate Degree, not less than 15 credit hours will be taken directly at BCC-SUNY through an e-learning system (via distance learning). Students of Gorno-Altai State University (Republic of Altai) will be able to participate in the program starting with the 2007-2008 academic year.

Stages of the project realization:

  1. Pilot testing: distant teaching on the basis of the main campus of ASU and a branch in Slavgorod (5-7 learners). No technical recourses needed.
  2. Technical upgrade of communication channels from the main ASU campus to the branches offices to extend the program to the whole territory of Altai Region and Republic of Altai.
  3. Launching the full-functioning e-learning system in Altai Region and Republic of Altai (14-20 people will be annually taught).

Available recourses: ASU is the leading educational and research institution in Altai Region. There are more than 18,500 students taught in ASU. The proposed program will be implemented on the basis of the Economics Faculty of ASU. The Economics Faculty is the biggest faculty of ASU (4,500 students) and one of the biggest faculties in Siberia. The Economics Faculty offers programs on economics and business administration in all 5 university branches. The faculty has developed more than 20 electronic textbooks for distant learning and a system for distant testing.

The faculty has 6 computer labs and each ASU branch has up to 4 computer labs. All of these labs are well equipped with multimedia computers and the access to the Internet.

Gorno-Altai State University (GASU) is only institution offering higher education in Republic of Altai. GASU is a stable partner of ASU in many educational and research programs, including annual conferences and seminars. Many administrators and teachers of GASU, including the Dean of Economics Faculty of GASU, are alumni of ASU. At present, the Economics Faculty of ASU and Economics Faculty of GASU jointly work on the project for developing a tourist-recreational zone in Republic of Altai.

Therefore, ASU has an information, technological, educational, and organizational infrastructure covering the all territory of Altai Region and Republic of Altai to realize the proposed project.

Expected results: On the basis of the Economics Faculty of ASU and the ASU branches, the full-functioning e-learning system will be developed during a year. The ASU-BCC-SUNY dual degree program will start in a pilot regime on the basis of the developed system by the 2007-2008 academic year. From 5 to 7 students will be involved in the dual-degree program for the first year and 14-20 students for next years.

On the basis of the developed system, the dual-degree program will be extended to Bachelor and Master Degree programs in the cooperation with the Empire State College of SUNY. A preliminary agreement with a representative of the college has been already reached.

On the basis of the developed e-leaning system, similar dual-degree Bachelor and Master programs may be implemented with the University Paris II (France) and Northampton University College (UK) in the nearest 2 or 3 years.

The project will help to make international standard education and an internationally recognized degree available for people who live in distant territories of Altai Region and Republic of Altai.

Recourses needed:

Backbone Fast Internet
Upgrade of communication channels from the main ASU campus to the branches offices
Upgrade of basic equipment for teleconferences
Wages for teachers, tutors, and mentors
Office Supplies and Stationery

 

Brief Questionnaires for Importing E-Learning Courses
from Developed Countries

Contact

Name of University

Broome Community College (BCC), State University of New York (SUNY)

Name of Contact Person

Blakeslee, Anne

Address

Professor
Division of Business
Broome Community College
P.O. Box 1017
Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 U. S. A.
(607) 778-5000
(607) 778-5150 TTY/TDD
Email: BLAKESLEE_A@sunybroome.edu
Web: www.sunybroome.edu

 

Subject

Title

Introduction to Business

Course content

General background of modern business practices through the study of organization and management, production, human resources, accounting and finance, marketing, and the information needed for control and management decisions in business and society.

Current status of the course

 

Brief description of procedures

 

Desired university

Broome Community College (BCC)

 

Learners

Level of targeted learners

Undergraduate

Estimated number of learners

10-15

 

Infrastructure

Computers

Describe briefly about the availability of computers to learners;
90 desktops in 6 computer labs of the Economics Faculty, learners can access Internet at school and at home

Internet

Describe briefly about the current availability of Internet at school and/or learners’ home or work place;

  • what is the trunk-line speed of Internet from your school to the outside world, (1Mbps)
  • how many such line does your school have, (2)
  • how much per month the school has to pay for the line in the US$, ($1000-1500)
  • what is the speed of accessing Internet from learner’s computer, (50kbps)
  • how they can access Internet at their home, or working place, and how much they have to pay, etc. (dial-up, DSL, $10-$50)

 

Procedures and Administration

Face-to-face meeting

a week-long meeting once a semester

Course credit

Can your university accept the credit of the offering university? Yes

Estimated tuition level

How much tuition can your e-learners pay for this course? $XXX

 

Support

Facilitator

 

Mentor

 

 


 

Contact

Name of University

Broome Community College (BCC), State University of New York (SUNY)

Name of Contact Person

Blakeslee, Anne

Address

Professor
Division of Business
Broome Community College
P.O. Box 1017
Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 U. S. A.
(607) 778-5000
(607) 778-5150 TTY/TDD
Email: BLAKESLEE_A@sunybroome.edu
Web: www.sunybroome.edu

 

Subject

Title

Management: A Behavioral Approach

Course content

A comprehensive analysis of managerial theories as they relate to a changing social and economic environment. An integration of social sciences will be used to investigate functions. Different cultural management styles will also be analyzed.

Current status of the course

 

Brief description of procedures

 

Desired university

Broome Community College (BCC)

 

Learners

Level of targeted learners

Undergraduate

Estimated number of learners

10-15

 

Infrastructure

Computers

Describe briefly about the availability of computers to learners;
90 desktops in 6 computer labs of the Economics Faculty, learners can access Internet at school and at home

Internet

Describe briefly about the current availability of Internet at school and/or learners’ home or work place;

  • what is the trunk-line speed of Internet from your school to the outside world, (1Mbps)
  • how many such line does your school have, (2)
  • how much per month the school has to pay for the line in the US$, ($1000-1500)
  • what is the speed of accessing Internet from learner’s computer, (50kbps)
  • how they can access Internet at their home, or working place, and how much they have to pay, etc. (dial-up, DSL, $10-$50)

 

Procedures and Administration

Face-to-face meeting

a week-long meeting once a semester

Course credit

Can your university accept the credit of the offering university? Yes

Estimated tuition level

How much tuition can your e-learners pay for this course? $XXX

 

Support

Facilitator

 

Mentor

 

 


 

Contact

Name of University

SUNY - Empire State College

Name of Contact Person

Valeri Chukhlomin

Address

Professor
Area Coordinator
Business, Management and Economics
Center for Distance Learning
SUNY - Empire State College
111 West Avenue
Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866
Phone: 1.518.587.2100 ext. 2435
Fax:     1.518.587.2660
Cell:     1.518.812.3964
Email:  Val.Chukhlomin@esc.edu
Web:    www.esc.edu/CDL

 

Subject

Title

International Business

Course content

Module 1: Nature of International Business
Module 2: Comparative Environmental Framework
Module 3: Theories and Institutions
Module 4: World Financial Environment
Module 5: Dynamics of International Business - Government Relations
Module 6: Operations: Tactical Alternatives
Module 7: Operations: Managing International Business Functions

The focus of this course is on the theories and practices involved in international business. Since international business transactions take place across national boundaries, persons involved in international business have to operate within the framework of each national requirement. For some of the key geographic regions of the world, these requirements have been rapidly changing within the last decade.

Current status of the course

 

Brief description of procedures

 

Desired university

SUNY - Empire State College

 

Learners

Level of targeted learners

Undergraduate

Estimated number of learners

10-15

 

Infrastructure

Computers

Describe briefly about the availability of computers to learners;
90 desktops in 6 computer labs of the Economics Faculty, learners can access Internet at school and at home

Internet

Describe briefly about the current availability of Internet at school and/or learners’ home or work place;

  • what is the trunk-line speed of Internet from your school to the outside world, (1Mbps)
  • how many such line does your school have, (2)
  • how much per month the school has to pay for the line in the US$, ($1000-1500)
  • what is the speed of accessing Internet from learner’s computer, (50kbps)
  • how they can access Internet at their home, or working place, and how much they have to pay, etc. (dial-up, DSL, $10-$50)

 

Procedures and Administration

Face-to-face meeting

a week-long meeting once a semester

Course credit

Can your university accept the credit of the offering university? Yes

Estimated tuition level

How much tuition can your e-learners pay for this course? $XXX

 

Support

Facilitator

Valeri Chukhlomin, Ph.D, Area Coordinator of Marketing and International Business at SUNY Empire State College.

Mentor

 

 

ANNEX 3

 

Assessment on Community Health, Altai Republic

by
Linda Hawkin Israel

Assessment on Community Health, Altai Republic
by Linda Hawkin Israel

My perspective is that of a Registered Nurse, midwife and strategist for rural health communication systems. The following summary represents a preliminary impression, complementary to that of Dr. Alexander Karpov who has unique telemedicine expertise and greater in-depth understanding of the sub-region.

Following summary includes:

  1. community health priorities and specific contributing factors
  2. impact of inadequate community access to medical services
  3. potential communication tracks for public health and medical services

1.   Community Health Priorities—Contributing Factors

The Ministry of Health for Altai Republic spoke with passion about the critical health needs of his people. He reported the problem of citizens not coming to health centers until they are in 4th stage of illness. He summarized the most critical problems, (later confirmed and expanded upon by multiple stakeholders), as:

A.    Tuberculosis and other opportunistic diseases
1.     inadequate education on the causes and spread of disease
2.     poor nutrition and cold that reduce immunity
3.     lack of comprehensive immunization
4.     families and communities living in close quarters
5.     inadequate government baseline knowledge of diseases and impact
6.     lack of population motivation to change health status
 
B.    Population nutritional crises
1.     anemia caused by multiple abortions
2.     anemia caused by lack of meat in diet
3.     thyroid deficiencies—lack of iodine and potentially post-radiation status
 
C.    Women’s reproductive health
1.     Lack of education, basic health care and sense of social status
2.     Repeated pregnancies and/or abortions
3.     Difficult deliveries, possibly unattended
4.     Malnutrition
5.     Domestic violence
6.     Vulnerability to HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
7.     Young women’s economic/social risks as targets for trafficking in persons
 
D.    Men’s health vulnerabilities
1.     Heart and blood pressure pathologies, with lack of emergency response
2.     Alcoholism
3.     Accidents and physical trauma resulting from
a.      high risk occupations (mining, hazardous equipment)
b.     social/criminal violence
c.      wars (death, injury, emotional after-effects)
 
E.     Children’s health
1.     Infant mortality, due to traumatic delivery and/or lack of maternal nutrition during pregnancy
2.     Disabilities resulting from prolonged labor
3.     Anemia
4.     Lack of immunization leading to increased childhood diseases
5.     Orphan status, from poverty or other social causes, leading to vulnerability at each stage of childhood and adulthood
6.     Necessity for separation from family to receive education, leading to issues for later discussion.
 
F.   Community vulnerability to disasters
1.  inadequate information systems for community planning and response
2.  housing and public structures present risk for collapse
3.  baseline economic and health status increases risk for impact

2.   Impact of inadequate community access to medical services.

A.    Lack of infrastructure for medical personnel
1.     probable errors in diagnoses and patient treatment
2.     lack of ongoing education, probably reducing care quality
3.     probable inconsistencies in medical management
4.     “brain drain” as health workers seek better environments
 
B.    Lack of communication and transportation of patients to health facilities
1.   patients waiting too long before seeking medical care
2.   higher risks with lack of adequate emergency response
3.   probable maternal and child health impact
 
C.   Lack of basic clinic and hospital equipment, appropriate to service needs
1.   higher risk for medical errors
2.   hesitation of community members to come for treatment

3.   Potential communication tracks for public health and medical services

Communication to rural villages is uneven, and telemedicine, while in planning and first stage development, requires broadband infrastructure. This is still not a reality, although some basic equipment is in place. Broadband and satellite communications for school-based and community education can contribute to:

a.      youth engagement, critical analysis of community health
b.     public education using existing vehicles (radio) and new media
c.      professional development and collaboration (incl. remote diagnostics)
d.     rural health services


ANNEX 4

 

Telemedicine in the Russian Federation:
Challenges, Assets and Opportunities

by
Alexander V. Karpov
Dean of International Medical Education
Novosibirsk State Medical University

Telemedicine in the Russian Federation: Challenges, Assets and Opportunities

Alexandre Karpov, MD
Director, Telemedicine
Novosibirsk Medical University

Challenges to rural health delivery:

Symptomatic of many challenges is the problem of citizens not coming forward with their health issues until it is too late. Contributing to this are distance, poverty, lack of education and a certain fatalism, which grips people who struggle long enough so they become chronically discouraged.

Also, clinical resources and medical infrastructure do not necessarily reach those most vulnerable communities. Rural “brain drain” takes talent from rural communities to the cities where there are more opportunities. So the situations are complex and often seem untenable.

Recent Global University System (GUS) assessment in Altai Region and Altai Republic, Siberia, revealed a situation which is emblematic of remote communities across Siberia—and the world:

Lack of infrastructure for medical personnel
Lack of communication and transportation of patients to health facilities
Lack of basic clinic and hospital equipment, appropriate to service needs

New approaches to rural health

There is an upswing in the use of communications, which can bridge health centers with rural health workers; there are creative means of using community radio and school curricula for educating the public, and there is then the potential of mobile, satellite-linked clinics which can travel to rural outposts on a regular basis.

An excellent example of this is the Alaska Telemedicine Project, in the US, which serves remote villages and indigenous peoples, supporting healthworkers to successfully use these technologies, even with minimal education. This and other models, both in Russian Federation and internationally, are now available and can be integrated into our existing practices and education for clinical practicioners.

Assets for implementation of telemedicine

Our academic institutions and Russian academics in diaspora can become more central in design of health systems in the Russian Federation.  This human capital has increasingly better tools to be on the frontline, cooperating across borders with international partners and local communities for peer education, access to medical libraries and new medical technologies.

Examples of institutions can include:

This university has major potential for international cooperation and experience along with attraction of students and teachers toward realization of real innovative projects that rise quality of health services and promotes training specialists of high level.
To assess community health needs, a community-initiated decision-making process was employed at Tomsk. As part of the primary care partnership, they conducted a telehealth pilot trial between a primary care hospital in Pereyaslavka and a tertiary care facility in Khabarovsk. Videoconferencing and the transmission of heart and lung sounds via telephone lines were successful within the Pereyaslavka Hospital. Videoconferencing was successful between the two hospitals (60 km apart) but the telephone lines were too noisy for the electronic stethoscopes. Telephone-based videoconferencing may prove to be important in helping rural medical practitioners in the Khabarovsk Territory to enhance the quality of health-care.

Key considerations for Siberian telemedicine can be:

o      tele-radiology for clinician support, even reviewing international partnerships which would take advantage of differing time zones for daytime consultation with clinicians who are serving during the night in their locale, or who do not have adequate expertise for specialized xray readings.
o      mobile telemedicine units (incl. snowmobiles, 4-wheel and motorbikes adapted to need) 
o      surveillance systems for infectious disease which include community-based, standardized transmission of data to university hubs for mapping and modeling, then return to remote stakeholders via satellite radio (picture radio), even where internet is not present

Priority needs for telemedicine and telehealth in Siberia:

Preparation for expansion of telemedicine includes:

Basic resources needed:

ANNEX 5

 

Public Forum
Capacity Building in Good Urban Governance

by
Dr. Leonid K. Bobrov
Vice Rector of Foreign Affairs
Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management

 

Project name                                          PUBLIC FORUM

Theme   Capacity building in Good Urban Governance: Recognizing that transforming urban governance requires more than training. Building a cadre of  ‘new urban governance’ politicians and professionals via the creation of a ‘Public Forum’ as a platform for promoting urban governance discourses (both face-to face and web-based), facilitating learning partnerships and for providing ongoing management support.

Target group                                           Officials, politicians, academic staff and students, urban professionals, citizens and the international professional community

Total project budget                                 XXX thousands euro

Contribution requested from MATRA         XXX thousands euro 

Project summary

This project is aimed at strengthening the capacity for good urban governance in the Russian Federation and in particular in the Siberian region. The key underlying assumption of the project is that whilst good training programmes are a necessary pre-condition for the transformation of urban governance, they are not sufficient. Also crucial is building and sustaining a cadre of politicians, officials, professionals and citizens committed to new urban governance. It is hypothesized that the building of such a cadre can be achieved by helping significant actors internalise, develop and critically apply new governance ideas and practices. Such help it is proposed should take the form of an urban communication platform ‘Public Forum’ which on the one hand promotes and provides a basis for ongoing public and professional discourse and which on the other hand provides a locus from which ongoing and ‘on-the-job’ management support can be provided to politicians, officials and citizens.

It is proposed that the ‘Public Forum’ implemented in both a face-to-face (F2F) and a web-based modalities, would serve as an interface between local, regional and international professionals, urban administrators, academic staff and the general public and provide them with proper access to information and knowledge, increase opportunities for exchange of opinions, build partnerships and learn from good practices in the field of urban management and ‘good urban governance’. A focal point of the information and knowledge component of the platform will be creation of a web-based database on relevant best practices which can be interfaced with similar databases elsewhere (like the UNCHS best-practice website). The platform would also facilitate the provision of ongoing ‘on-the-job’ management support (both web-based and F2F).

In summary, the proposed platform will have multiple functions:

This proposal is an outcome of an ongoing project ‘Innovative Methods of Urban Governance’ (IMUG) realised by NSAEM and ISS (December 2001-March 2004). During the IMUG project it became clear that despite the success of the project there still exist a few objective limitations which could influence the sustainability of its output: (1) present access to project deliverables is limited compared to the ‘scale’ of the revealed needs in the region and required further involvement of innovative IT technologies to reach a wider audience; (2) emerging partnerships and coalitions are not yet sustainable and need further assistance; (3) those, who during the IMUG project period started to share the ideology of good urban governance are not sufficiently experienced in practical application of their knowledge and need further guidance and management support; (4) problems of a city often caused by inefficient metropolitan management still persist: mending those, however, was not a scope of the IMUG project. Accordingly, this proposal aims at creating conditions, which will sustain the results of the IMUG project and extend its impact on urban integration and ongoing democratisation in the Russian Federation and in Siberian region.

The proposed project will further facilitate the practical application of principles of good urban governance in Russian metropolises and in particular in the Siberian region: A combination of international experience, expertise and knowledge about Russian conditions will be concentrated in the ‘Public Forum’ and become accessible to urban practitioners, administrators and the general public, as well as to international experts.

 

The title ‘Public Forum’ refers to a well-known earlier form of democratic governance, originated from ancient Greece polises. The platform will help to involve experts and representatives of non-governmental sectors in discussions about the local situation, provide leadership and other skills, reduce the fragmented and hierarchical character of present decision-making in the region, equalise public access to information and increase co-ordination and integration of different participants of urban development in the region.

ANNEX 6

 

Creative Climate in Altai Firms and Innovative Potential of Altai Region and Republic of Altai: Assessment, Analysis, Activation, and Effective Realization

by
Dr. Igor N. Dubina
Associate Dean for Research and International Cooperation
Associate Professor of Economic Information Systems, Economics Faculty
Altai State University

Creative Climate in Altai Firms and Innovative Potential of Altai Region and Republic of Altai: Assessment, Analysis, Activation, and Effective Realization

Proposal for research activities on the working group for Globally Collaborative Research and Development in the frame of the Global University System \ Altai project

The purpose of the project is to develop the principles, methods, and techniques for the assessment of innovative potential of a region on the micro and macro levels and to apply the developed approaches to analyze the innovative potential of Altai Region and Republic of Altai.

Methods:

The microlevel assessment and analysis. The organizational climate for creativity and innovation in the main industrial and agricultural firms in Altai Region will be assessed. The method for the assessment of the organizational climate for creativity and innovation will be developed on the basis of methods developed by G. Ekvall and T. Amabile. Recently, several approaches to the assessment of the work environment for creativity and innovation have been developed in the USA and Europe. However, only a few instruments for assessing creative and innovative climate for creativity provide accessible reliability and validity:

Any methods and instruments for measuring creative and innovative climate have been neither described nor used in Russia yet. A new Russian-language instrument for measuring organizational climate for creativity and innovation will be developed on the basis of KEYS and CCQ which will be adopted for the socio-cultural and language conditions of Russia.

Pilot testing the new instrument will be carried out in 3 Altai companies to test validity and reliability of the instrument. After the instrument correction, the climate for creativity and innovation will be measured in 15 leading Altai firms. For mathematically correct quantitative analysis of the obtained data, the Rasch measurement model will be used.

Consultations for the leaders of the companies participated in this research project will be provided to improve the organizational climate there. The results of this research will be summarized in a special report on organizational climate for creativity and innovation in Altai Region and Republic of Altai.

The macrolevel assessment and analysis. An approach and methods for the assessment of regional innovative potential (regional innovativity) will be developed on the basis of the following factors:

The results will be summarized in a special report for the Administration of Altai Region and the Government of Republic of Altai. The report will include recommendations for the development of the regional economy on the basis of mobilizing the region innovative potential.

To discuss the research results, an International conference “Creativity Based Economy: Creativity and Innovation for Sustainable Economic Development” will be held in June, 2008 in the town and resort of Belokurikha (The Altai Mountains). The Proceedings of the Conference will be published.

The research team:

Dr. Sergei A. Loktev,

The First Deputy Head of the Administration of Altai Region for industrial and agricultural development, Professor of Economics Faculty at Altai State University, Barnaul, Russia

Dr. Olga P. Mamchenko,

Dean, Economics Faculty, Altai State University,
Barnaul, Russia

Dr. Igor N. Dubina,

Associate Dean for Research and International Cooperation,
Associate Professor of Economic Information Systems, Economics Faculty, Altai State University,
Barnaul, Russia

Dr. Eugeni Shvakov,

Dean, Economics Faculty, Gorno-Altai State University,
Gorno-Altaisk, Russia

Dr. Elias G. Carayannis,

Professor of Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship,
Department of Information Systems and Technology Management,
Director of Research, Science, Technology, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, European Union Research Center  (EURC)
Co-founder and Co-Director,
Global and Entrepreneurial Finance Research Institute (GEFRI)
School of Business, George Washington University,
Washington, DC, USA

Dr. David F.J. Campbell,

Research Fellow, University of Klagenfurt, Faculty for Interdisciplinary
Studies (IFF), Vienna, Austria

Dr. Stuart Umpleby,

Professor in the Department of Management and Director of the Research Program in Social and Organizational Learning in the School of Business at The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
Dr. Gerard Puccio,
Director, The International Center for Studies in Creativity, Professor of Creative Studies,
Buffalo State College of SUNY,
Buffalo, NY, USA

Dr. Fangqi Xu,

Professor of Business Administration, Jiangsu Polytechnic University, China
Director of International Connections of Japan Creativity Society

Recourses needed:

Financial support for organizing the Conference
Wages and salaries for research team members and staff
Office Supplies and Stationery

Comment: The assessment of organizational climate for creativity and innovation in Altai firms may be realized as an autonomous project. In that case, it will require less recourses and a smaller research team

ANNEX 7

Suggestions on Planning Activity

by
Tatiana S. NOVIKOVA Ph.D., Dr.Sci.
Head of Finance and Tax Policy Department

Business Administration Faculty
 Novosibirsk State Technical University

Suggestions on planning activity of the working group «Globally Collaborative Research and Development» of the project «Global University System / Altay Mir»

The purpose:  the analysis of social and economic development of the Republic of Altay in conditions of global interrelations and interdependence, held on the basis of economic and mathematical modeling methods; application of the scientific research results.

The mechanism of realization is the interaction of institutes of Global University System and leading universities and the academic institutes of Novosibirsk and Moscow that assumes realization of monitoring at Novosibirsk State Technical University (coordinator is Dr. T.S. Novikova, the head of the finance and tax policy faculty).

Resources and their use in the project

Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) is the largest university of Novosibirsk and is one of the largest research and educational centers of Russia. The University trains specialists in engineering, social-economic specializations as well as humanities. The University has long-standing traditions to pursue fundamental and applied research in various directions of science and engineering, in the field of higher education, increasing the quality in education and training specialists. NSTU has a significant innovation potential, experience in innovation activity and international innovation cooperation, with attracting students and teaching staff to carry out real-life innovation projects, which increases the quality of education and facilitates the training of highly-qualified specialists.

On the faculty of the finance and tax policy (head Dr. T. S. Novikova) the wide experience of teaching in the field of investments and the finance within the frames of disciplines "Investment", "Investment strategy", "Insurance", and "Financing of innovations" is accumulated. In the scientific research, experience of modeling of the investment projects is gained here that is characterized by a combination of the analysis of commercial and public efficiency and corresponding interaction of the finances of various projects participants.

Institute of economy and organization of industrial production (IEOIP) is the leading institute in Russia among institutes dealing with economic and mathematical modeling. The institute has received popularity in the country and abroad and has won high reputation. The main research directions in the institute include problems of the state regional policy, territorial management and complex development of Siberia. In the institute, an inter-branch model of global optimization and economic interaction in the world economic was developed that uses the data of the Leontiev's balance model of the world economic. In the project, IEIOPP is considered as the base institute for carrying out the scientific research under the management of corr. member of Russian Academy of Science, deputy director V.I. Suslov. It is supposed to make use of the unique experience of development of two types of models accumulated by the institute: the inter-branch inter-regional models applied to forecasting of territorial development of economy of Russia, and models of the investment projects applied to an estimation of innovative potential of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Science.

Among innovative projects special interest for the project "Global University System / Altai the World" present the following projects: the project of manufacture of installations on recycling the accompanying gases that gives significant ecological effects; the project of manufacture of medical products "IZODEKS", characterized by high public efficiency of innovative products and technologies in medicine; the project of ecological housing construction "ECODOM", attractive to Altai from the point of view of harmonization of interaction with an environment, energy saving, low expenses, and earthquake-resistant opportunities.

Stages of realization of the project.

1st stage. Carrying out simulation on the account of ecological effects on an example of interaction of the investment project model of installations manufacturing on accompanying oil gases recycling (Novosibirsk) and the global model (Washington, Arlington). Restoration of business games "World Economic" and "Estimation of projects by banks of development" with the subsequent introduction into educational process in universities of Novosibirsk, and later – in the Republic of Altay

2nd stage. The analysis of strategic directions of development of the Republic of Altay, including the civil-engineering design of the main gas pump line Tomsk- Gorno Altaisk - China, civil-engineering design of the Katun hydroelectric power station, development of the tourism complex, providing the republic with means of modern Internet connection. Carrying out videoconferences for some directions.

3rd stage. The analysis of strategic opportunities of the Republic of Altay development on the basis of simulations on a complex of the interconnected models of the project. From the side of Russia the complex includes inter-branch inter-regional model of economy of Russia, a model of economy of republic Altai and models of various investment projects.

The analysis of strategic opportunities of development of republic Altai on the basis of simulations based on the complex of the interconnected models of the project.

Introduction of results of scientific researches to the education system of the Republic of Altay.

Resources needed.

Connection to the broadband fast Internet for participants of simulations.
Maintenance of the necessary equipment for carrying out of teleconferences.
Providing of researchers, teachers and students with computers.
Wages for scientific employees, teachers and translators.
Consumables and overheads.

ANNEX 8

 

List of Participants
at
Conference at the Government of Altai Republic
(September 6th and 7th)

AppleMark?

AppleMark?

AppleMark?


ANNEX 9

 

Support Letters
(In a separate folder)

 


ANNEX 10

 

Financial Report
(In a separate folder)