Vol. II: Shaping Information and Communication ... - IMA,ZLW & IfU

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7. Conclusions: Utilizing EU Visitors’ Perspectives for Cross-Cultural IT Education
The two papers presented here are held together by a common concern for ICT education in
traditional society faced with a rapidly changing world. The foregoing paper provided a
context of threats and opportunities brought about by the growth of new information
technologies and media. We noted that the traditional approaches to IT education favoured by
Indian universities have weaknesses which are being exploited by a host of private training
suppliers and which fail to adequately prepare students for the work which they will need to
do. We also discussed how, in the Punjab, practical limitations on availability and difficulties
of travel limit the effectiveness of traditional methods of knowledge dissemination. This
creates an imperative to make use of new technologies, but although the skills are widely
available the methods of teaching and experience of running appropriate courses are in short
supply. Therefore we started the project of web-based ICT education as described in this
chapter.
One approach to dealing with the difficulties encountered is to make use of the different
perspective and complementary skills which may be supplied by visitors from European
universities. Although this approach offers a wide range of benefits to all concerned, there are
many obstacles to effective collaboration which need to be overcome, for which we have
provided some tentative answers.
It is clear that the complexities and change which follow the spread of information
technologies demand complex solutions which are not just technical, but which relate to the
integration and absorption of those technologies into university systems and society as a
whole. These issues affect all societies grappling with the information age. Through the
exchange of knowledge and the exploration of the human and societal issues which arise,
European and Indian partners have enriched their understanding of these complexities. By
raising new challenges and presenting new perspectives, the wisdom of all concerned has
been enhanced. Thus, the benefits of cross-cultural work in this area have begun to be
realised.
Acknowledgements
Authors gratefully acknowledge the support by the European Commission under the "EU-
India Cross Cultural Innovation Network" project.