I'net link to foreign lecturers, universities

Thai universities will be able to connect with leading universities across the world. During a realtime meeting, attendants will feel as if they sit across the table from others who are in different places and countries.

The socalled Global TelePresence Research and Education Community on the Uninet Network project will provide interested universities with TelePresence technology, which is a gateway of virtual connection.

About 70 universities worldwide have joined TelePresence community, such as the University of California, Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford and the National University of Singapore.

"Lecturers and students or people attending the meeting will feel as if they are in the same environment as the technology gives real time interaction. Video and audio are synchronised without delay. Remote participants are lifesize. So, they can communicate effectively," said Sumate Yamnoon, secretarygeneral of the Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec).

"It will be easier for Thai students and lecturers to learn from professors and lecturers in foreign countries. They don't have to waste time travelling across countries to lecture or join a meeting in Thailand. Possibly, we'll be able to reserve three hours of an MIT lecturer to teach via TelePresence," Tatchapol Poshyanonda, managing director of Cisco Systems (Thailand) said. Cisco provides the technology.

Uninet is the InterUniversity Network, which allows Internet access to universities, vocational institutes and educational service area offices countrywide.

Tatchapol said more than 10 universities in every region of the country were interested in using the technology.

Chulalongkorn University finished the equipment installation a few months ago. It used TelePresence to connect with its campuses.

And the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce was due to install it soon to create a "smart" classroom, which can invite foreign lecturers to teach students in "realtime" online.

Sumate said Ohec would push use of the system for teaching, learning and research, both locally and internationally.