Four Asian universities seek to establish joint cyber school

Four major Asian universities -- Seoul National, Beijing, Tokyo National and Hanoi -- are planning to set up a joint cyber university.

The presidents of the four universities agreed on the establishment of a cyber university in a meeting at Beijing University on Sunday.

They decided to open a joint Internet site that will provide lectures from each university for the use of professors and students.

The university presidents agreed to set up the cyber university in the latter part of next year and to form committees for the creation of joint culture in order to strengthen academic exchanges among their universities.

The four universities will also expand personnel exchanges by increasing the number of guest professors and exchange students and introducing short-term summer semester study programs.

The school leaders decided to examine the introduction of a system for the mutual recognition of credits and joint degrees.

In the meantime, Seoul National University plans to send 50 undergraduate and 50 graduate school students to Tokyo National University and Beijing University, respectively, from next year, and is also seeking exchange programs with Hanoi University, school officials said.

If the joint degree system is adopted, students who study at Seoul National University for two years and at another university for an additional two years will receive bachelor¡¯s degrees at the two schools simultaneously if they complete a thesis.