<strong>The</strong> <strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Southeast</strong> <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Institutions</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Higher</strong> <strong>Learning</strong>Innovative Applications in Distance and E-learningto Meet Vision 2020 ChallengesKey Words: E-learning, <strong>Higher</strong> <strong>Learning</strong>, and <strong>Higher</strong> <strong>Learning</strong> InnovationsAbstractAs the global marketplace promotes the utilization <strong>of</strong> information and communication technologies foreducational opportunities, international linkages, overseas campuses, collaborative partnerships withmultiple universities and other transnational relations, instructional quality and integrity remain keys toeffectiveness and sustainability. For reasons <strong>of</strong> infrastructure, cultural diversity, educationalregulations, languages, and real costs, the challenges for meeting the outcomes <strong>of</strong> Vision 2020 inproviding a quality and comprehensive education can be quite difficult. As developed andtransitioning countries consider the adoption and/or expansion <strong>of</strong> ICT and distance learning, a concernfor quality control and the necessary support to ensure programmatic integrity requires concertedattention. <strong>The</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> higher education institutions are also experiencing the need to consider ICT anddistance learning. It becomes the responsibility <strong>of</strong> university pr<strong>of</strong>essors and administrators to identifyand apply appropriate curricula design, development, support, and evaluation measures to ensure thattheir academic and research programs experience an effective transition to a distance-learningenvironment.2
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Southeast</strong> <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Institutions</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Higher</strong> <strong>Learning</strong>Innovative Applications in Distance and E-learningto Meet Vision 2020 ChallengesDr. Michael W. ChurtonPr<strong>of</strong>essorPr<strong>of</strong>. Pornchai Matangkasombut , President, Mahidol University and President <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Association</strong> <strong>of</strong><strong>Southeast</strong> <strong>Asian</strong> <strong>Institutions</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Higher</strong> <strong>Learning</strong> , ASAIHL Organizing Committee, Dr. Ninnat ,University Colleagues, ladies and gentleman. I am honored for having the privilege to share mythoughts and research with you today.I must, however, first underscore the point that I am a foreigner, an “orang puteh” but alsosomeone who has lived in <strong>Southeast</strong> Asia for many years and has developed a mutual respect for yourcultural traditions, religions, and for your people. In this paper, I do not represent my university or mycountry but only myself in the opinions and statements that I will make. <strong>The</strong>se opinions however arepredicated on the experiences, research, and knowledge that I have learned and accumulated over thepast 30 years. I have spent nearly three years <strong>of</strong> my very formative academic years teaching in thenorthern state <strong>of</strong> Kelantan in Malaysia and I have maintained close relations with many <strong>of</strong> my formerstudents who are now among the middle class <strong>of</strong> Malaysia. I have conducted research and providedseminars for the past twenty years in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, and PDR LAO. I wasa United States Fulbright scholar in Borneo during the year 2000 and for five weeks led a group <strong>of</strong> 12university researchers throughout the interior <strong>of</strong> Borneo in the state <strong>of</strong> Sarawak and Sabah, EastMalaysia. I am continuing my research focusing on indigenous people <strong>of</strong> <strong>Southeast</strong> Asia in particular,the people <strong>of</strong> Borneo in Sarawak and Kalimantan and also in Peninsula Malaysia, and howglobalization impacts their culture, languages and ADAT- their traditions, customs and laws. Ofparticular interest is the fact that although ICT has perhaps created some <strong>of</strong> the negative outcomes,especially among the less affluent in this region, it is my opinion that ICT can also be the digital bridgein preserving indigenous people’s customs and culture for future generations.I have conducted seminars and workshops on Distance and E-learning in PDR LAO, Vietnam,Philippines, and Indonesia and also conducted seminars on teaching children with disabilities, which ismy academic expertise. Most recently I have spent several weeks at Sukhothai Thammathirat OpenUniversity assisting the Faculty <strong>of</strong> Science And Technology in transiting to an e-learning model.However, today’s discussion centers on the scope <strong>of</strong> Vision 2020—and how can ICT can assistuniversities in conducting their duties and responsibilities in research, teaching, and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalservice. I am not so interested in the process <strong>of</strong> Vision 2020 but rather the anticipated outcomes to be3