Save an university using 21st Century technology

Kirby Dyess's, Vice President of Oregon State Board of Higher Eduction, proposal for saving higher education by selling or privatizing one of the seven state university branches of Higher Eduction, that include Portland State University, though a only voice on the board is a boldone and deserves discussion to resolve the deficit budget. Mahatma Gandhi once said, " Even if your are in a minority of one truth is still the truth. " It's stunningly surprising the higher education board was stunned with an idea that require an exploratory evaluation to meet the two ends of the higher education expenses.

Higher education is not only the responsibility of the state legislature but also that of the US Congress. President Bush's Year 2006 State of Union mentioned billions of dollars of outlay for science and math education to compete with the Asian countries of India and China. Bush-Singh March 1 summit and bilateral agreement provides the cooperation between US and India in the global strategic alignment in many areas that should include Indian higher education system like the world-class Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) which could provide E (Internet) eduction to the Oregon State universities eliminating the increase in university staff or not replacing the retiring professors in Oregon.

I remember a graduate level electrical engineering video-class mailed out of a Washington State at Pullman, Washington I and seven other colleagues successfully studied three decades ago in 1977 in Boise, Idaho at the premises of our employer Morrison Knudsen International when the Internet was non-existent in the public arena. We must take advantage of the 21st Century technology to revolutionize the education methods to meet the challenges of the new Century as the international borders and education are now seamless and an illusion only.

Shantu Shah