News

Universitas 21 Global's online MBA launched

Media Release, Wednesday 18 June 2003

University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert, has welcomed the launch of Universitas 21 Global's first academic program - an online MBA.

Admissions for the online MBA are now being taken and teaching will begin on 28 July 2003.

The first university of its kind in the Asia Pacific, Universitas 21 Global is a US$50 million joint venture between Universitas 21, an international network of research-intensive universities, and Thomson Learning, a global provider of tailored learning solutions. Sixteen universities in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Europe, the UK, Canada and the USA are members of Universitas 21 Global.

Representatives of the Australasian member universities - the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, the University of Queensland and the University of Auckland - met in Melbourne today for the Australasian launch of the online MBA program.

Universitas 21 Global CEO, Dr Mukesh Aghi is confident that the e-university will be well positioned to address an estimated US$111 billion global demand for higher education. Universitas 21 Global is strategically headquartered in Singapore where it is registered as a higher education provider.

Professor Gilbert who is also Chair of the Universitas 21 Global Board, describes the global online university as a new kind of university for a new century. "Drawing on the reputation and experience of 16 of the world's most distinguished universities, it is breaking new ground in reaching out with quality higher education to people who otherwise might have little chance to study at this level," he added.

Professor Gilbert says that Universitas 21 Global expects to enrol several hundred students at this initial registration. "We have always planned to start with small numbers as we bed down new delivery technologies, instructors and online student support services," he said. "But thereafter Universitas 21 Global is expected to expand rapidly."

Professor Gilbert says that the MBA has undergone a rigorous accreditation process through U21 Pedagogica. Chairman of the international program review panel appointed to oversee the accreditation process for the MBA was Professor Leon Mann of the Melbourne Business School.

Prof Mann believes that the Universitas 21 Global MBA compares, in program coverage and curriculum, with other MBAs. "Global is working hard to build the technical infrastructure that will support a quality online MBA," he said. "It is also addressing the issue of developing an MBA with a distinctive international perspective and approach to management and management education."

Professor Gilbert is convinced that Universitas 21 Global will be an important part of the future of higher education worldwide, answering a demand for higher education in around 85 percent of the world where the traditional, expensive model of the campus-based university is not an option. "Without high quality online solutions such as Universitas 21 Global, many people in the developing world will be denied access to emerging global knowledge economy," he said.

The next Universitas 21 Global program - now in development - will be an online Master of Management Information Systems.