Internationale Kulturwissenschaften
International Cultural Studies
Etudes culturelles internationales

Sektion III: Neue wissenschaftliche Institutionen

Section III:
New Scientific Institutions

Section III:
Nouvelles institutions scientifiques


Jan R. Hakemulder (Opeinde)
Introduction to the Intercultural Open University

 

It is an honor and pleasure for me to introduce to you the Intercultural Open University (IOU) and its' related specialized agencies. The headquarters of this network of departments, branches and affiliated academic institutions and universities are based in Bosk House, situated in the province of Friesland, in The Netherlands.

Development Strategies. In fact, the work started in 1980 with one of the agencies, namely Educational & Cultural Task Forces (Ecutaf). After 10 years of experience with development work in Africa for United Nations (Unesco, Unicef and the UN Economic Commission for Africa) it became more and more clear to me that part of some failures could be traced back to the idea that educational and other strategies easily could be transferred from the Western cultural code to the so called developing countries. Consequently, it was decided to establish an organization aiming at educational development based on the cultural background of the particular countries. This principle is expressed in the name: Educational and Cultural. Consequently, local specialists had to be involved, and in most cases cultural anthropologists were requested to give their vision during preparation and execution of projects. The terminology 'task forces' was chosen because we wanted to point at the fact that Ecutaf aims at reacting efficiently, effectively and without the time consuming bureaucracy of most organizations to special requests from schools, universities, educational decision makers and governments. With around 80 specialists in their field of expertise, I am proud to say that Ecutaf was the first private foundation in the world with this philosophy. For more details about the strategy of Ecutaf, I invite you to study the information on Internet: www.iouedu.com

Higher Education. During a meeting at Bosk House with Indian, African, German, English and Dutch colleagues, my wife and I were challenged to think about establishing an open university with students all over the world. After ample considerations and discussions, we decided in 1981 to register the Intercultural Open University (IOU) in The Netherlands, after we had made sure that sufficient high level scientists, scholars, researchers and other persons were available and willing to assist in this endeavor. IOU is not just another open university: it is assisting students in various continents in an innovative way. In the critical situation our world is experiencing, we are convinced that humanity not only needs political programmes and actions, but also a vision of a peaceful living together of peoples, ethnic and ethical groups, and religions. It needs hopes, goals, ideals, standards. Too long old strategies have been used for the complete new problems individuals and societies are facing at the eve of the 21st century. Where Ecutaf is using the bottom-up approach, IOU starts at the other end by assisting the intelligentia to contribute to development of their society. The university does not want to be subsidized in order to maintian full academic freedom: financially it depends on tuition and fees. It has, however, introduced the rule that the amount depends on the economic situation of the country. A sort of Robin Hood strategy, whereby the rich pay for the poor!

 

Didactics. Intercultural' means that learners are challenged to include aspects of different cultures in their studies assisted by professors with various cultural backgrounds. Next to the necessary knowledge, experience and skills, IOU also aims at an attitude of 'self-responsible self-determination'. To reach this ideal, IOU has introduced individualized programmes for masters' and doctorate degrees, so that learners have the opportunity - where needed with assistance from specialists - to develop their own tailor-made programme. After the programme is agreed upon, professors with different cultural backgrounds and specialists in the particular subject are requested to assist the learner in the project. A coordinator at headquarters is supervising the team. This means that IOU has not adopted the strategy of ‘Industrialized Open Education’, but a learning by individual distance communication.

In drawing their programmes, learners explore their own situation and surroundings, include their own wishes, interests and specialities, and basing the programme on future expectations. This designing of the programme is an extremely important exercise, because the student is requested to think about future job planning. Of course, an IOU Enrollment Committee is responsible that each and every individual programme has high level academic standards. The bachelor students, however, need more assistance and therefore IOU has developed modular programmes. The information on IOU’s home page will give you more details. It will show, e.g. that IOU starting as a small institution for higher learning has developed to a larger university with departments and branches in various countries in Europe, Northern America, Asia and Africa with its logistic and research centre in The Netherlands. The number of enrolled learners at this moment is around 55,000 world wide.

Based on the success of IOU, we received a request to establish a sister-university in Japan: the Global Peace University (GPU). This university, serving the Pacific, offers degree courses in Peace Studies, Ecology and Environment, Healing, Development Studies, and Eco Philosophy. Administration and Academic Staff have been appointed in Tokyo, October 1999. The university is registered in Hawaii, and the Centre has been established in Okinawa.

To reach students, we have been using of the postal services, fax and telephone. But where technology is bringing us into the information era, we decided January 1996 to enter the Information Super Highway of Internet. We found that Internet - next to the written textbooks and scientific literature - contains sufficient additional scientific information for IOU learners for a number of selected subjects, which you find mentioned on the web site under Cyberspace Faculty. Next to assisting learners in making good use of the computer in general and of the Internet information in particular, we aim at using the compiled information as an enormous global library, to enter discussion groups, to correspond with top class scholars, and to distinguish what is worthwhile and what not. Cyberspace Faculty is another way for learners to discover possibilities and to develop intellectually, but for those who are not interested or able to make use of Internet, the normal IOU approach continues.

Philosophy. In a lecture of the International Council for Innovation of Higher Education (Budapest, 1990), I summarized the philosophical task for higher education as follows:

 

"The consciousness of the 21st century will be global from two perspectives:

1) from a horizontal perspective, cultures are meeting each other on the surface of the globe, entering into creative encounters that will produce a complexified collective consciousness;
2) from a vertical perspective, they must plunge their roots deep into the earth and reach outfar into the universe in order to provide a stable and secure base for future development.

This global consciousness must be organically ecologically, supported by structures that will insure justice and peace."

This leads us to annunciate eco-centered or bio-centered ethics. We find all over the world more and more interest in this particular aspect, and IOU also feels responsibility in this field.

Although the IOU family is action- and future- oriented, this certainly does not mean that we do not include and respect the way of life, culture and philosophy of peoples in the past. On the contrary, IOU stresses in its philosophy and educational strategy the historical wisdom. In the context of bio-ethics, very ancient cultures, for instance, worshipped nature and considered all beings as sacred. In a sense, eco-ethics close an enormous circle and rejoin those ancient people who lived the wholeness of the universe and the sacredness of all beings in it in their daily intense experience. Their consciousness and the vibrant rhythms of their rituals have survived to our times. In fact, we all respond to these rituals on the cellular level. Modern biology proves that our cells, our blood system and the entire chemistry of life beat the same rhythm of all forms around us. In general terms we can state that "problems coming up at this time and at this place might be the problems of all times and all places." (Langeveld, Dutch philosopher) Consequently, a study of past solutions can give clarification and ideas for problem solution now and here. This certainly is true for subjects such as the humanities, philosophy and comparative religious studies.

Subjects. The university offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees in a number of subjects: e.g. (Cultural) Anthropology, Philosophy (Western and Eastern, including Eco Philosophy), Education, Health Science (emphasis on Oriental Medicine), Political Science, Literature, Economy and (International) Management, Comparative Religious and Philosophical Studies, Psychology (Counseling, Industrial Psychology and Psychological Therapy), Sociology, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Development Studies.

Example: Health Science. Not only in programmes and studies of students, publications of professors and scholars, IOU has most clearly shown its position by doing research on alternative medical approaches. In 1988, IOU has conducted research in the field of Oriental Medicine in general and Japanese approaches in particular. The in Japan originated international organization International Federation of Alternative Medicine (IFAM) has its Headquarters in The Netherlands since 1993. Very close relations have been established with IOU. Therefore, IFAM can make use of the scientific expertise of IOU to undertake scholarly research projects. Furthermore, IOU is in a position to promote oriental medical approaches in contact with other universities.

This research becomes really urgent because many patients in especially western countries get more and more frustrated with the so-called allopathic medicine. In the United States more visits are made to alternative therapists than to regular medical doctors, and the trend is the same in most of the countries in Western Europe. In connection with what is said before about our historical past, we can say that allopathic medicine is 'laboratory-tested' and oriental medicine is in many cases 'time-tested'. We have now arrived to the period that also 'time-tested' approaches are subject to scientific research. Although IOU does not hesitate to state that not all medical approaches can scientifically be tested and proved,, in some cases, IOU has to admit that we are confronted with mystery and that - for the time being - we have to leave it to the field of mystery.

In 1996, IOU has decided to strengthen connections with the source of oriental medicine. In collaboration with specialists of the famous Universities of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing and Shanghai new approaches and equipment have been introduced and research projects conducted. In this way IOU is trying to bridge the gap between both approaches and to contribute to an integral approach to health and illnesses.

In the IOU course Health Science, alternative and oriental medicine are playing a very important role, especially Chinese, Japanese and Indian medical approaches. Most countries can learn from Chinese and Indian health care: we there find not the division - even fight - between school- and alternative medical therapists but cooperation. Most universities and hospitals in China and many in India respectively teach and practice both ways.

On the other side, IOU is worried about the way alternative therapists are trained and educated. We think that in comparison with the countries of origine, also Western therapists need a high level of educational, ethical and psychological standards. More information about IFAM can be found in IOU’s web site.

Recognition. The roads 'Agents of Change' have chosen aren't always easy. Especially Health and Education seem to be touchy fields. IFAM not only promotes alternative medical techniques, it also insists on a high ethical and professional level of its members and , on the other hand, assists in cases of law suits to its members. In the same way two specialized organizations are working in the field of Higher Education, namely the Accrediting Commission for Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and the World Council of Excellence in Higher Education (WCEHE). Independent universities with innovative programs sometimes have a hard time to survive. Governmental and political bureaucracy many times hamper the introduction and excecution of modern didactical approaches and new subjects. Private institutions and foundations, however, many times are in a better position to take the lead to change and improve educational programmes and make them more adjusted to the demands of the future. In a number of countries not only rules and regulations are making this difficult, also traditional universities are not in favour of those they regard as competitors in their field of competence. Even in countries with a free and liberal approach towards innovation in general, higher education seems to be exceptional and seems to belong to state controlled institutions. The weapon used is 'recognition' and 'accreditation'. Most national and international companies and organizations, however, are not reluctant at all to appoint employees with an educational background of non-traditional universities. On the contrary, they look more at the knowledge, skills, competence and motivation of appointees. In a few cases, however, public- and government offices and organizations, are less positive about acceptance of diplomes and degrees. In the same way as is described for alternative practitioners, we are of the opinion that also universities need a high academic educational and professional level. This is the reason that ACCU - international - and WCEHE - more for the North American region - provide those universities protection and assistance in order to keep high academic standards.

Last but not least I want to mention the League of International Universities (LIU). More and more universities are making use of the possibilities of modern ways of communication. Their area is not only the learners within the borders of the countries of origine, but they also offer courses to learners in other areas of the world. It is obvious that those institutions of higher learning have special ideas and problems. It is therefore, that the the League, including the Distance University Consortium (DUC) offers special opportunities for exchange of information, expertise and degrees to enlarge the facilities of the respective member institutions and to facilitate the learning opportunities of learners all over the world.

From the above information it is clear to the readers that we are open for comments and ideas. Furthermore, we invite men and women of all ages, nationalities and races to become part and parcel of the community of scholars, researchers and learners.

Extensive information: see Internet web site www.iouedu.com

 

Intercultural Open University (IOU)
Bosk House - De Hoarnen 5 - 9218 XC Opeinde - The Netherlands
Tel: (0) 512 - 372297 ; Fax: (0) 512 - 372703
Internet: www.iouedu.com e-mail: iou@iouedu.com



Internationale Kulturwissenschaften
International Cultural Studies
Etudes culturelles internationales

Sektion III: Neue wissenschaftliche Institutionen

Section III:
New Scientific Institutions

Section III:
Nouvelles institutions scientifiques

© INST 1999

Institut zur Erforschung und Förderung österreichischer und internationaler Literaturprozesse

 Research Institute for Austrian and International Literature and Cultural Studies

 Institut de recherche de littérature et civilisation autrichiennes et internationales