A Task Force on Universities and Information and Communication Technologies was created by the IAU Administrative Board in 1995.

A paper (rtf, 112 kb) written by Claudine Langlois, Secretary of the Task Force, summaries the main questions concerning the impact of ICTs on universities, mainly the benefits of and limitations to the use of information technologies in teaching, learning and research. It ends with concluding remarks from the IAU Task Force and a number of recommendations as to what strategies to adopt.

In 2000, at the 11^th General Conference of the International Association of Universities (Dirban, South Africa), Universities and Information Technologies were discussed.

Three workshop sessions took place on this specific topic following each main theme presentations at the Conference. A full report (rtf, 52 kb) on these sessions was given by Professor Liyoshi, during the Panel discussion on Universities and the Knowledge Society.

Apart from these reflections the following questions were raised in the Workshop Sessions on ITs.

• How to overcome the faculty resistance to the use of Information Technologies? (through incitements – benefits professors can gain by using ITs, etc.).
• Do we need university libraries anymore? Or, can staff and students now obtain journals and books on the Net?
• Do we need to ensure a balance between teaching programmes created, for example, in the U.S. and those with local content in university courses.
• How to ensure that universities take on board Information Technologies and do not become the object or victim of Information Technologies.
• What should universities do to uphold and develop important university values and qualities whilst investing much effort to employ Information Technologies in teaching and research.
• Is ICT going to increase the disparities between the first and third world and within any country, whatever its level of development?
• Will the coming new technologies (wireless) be able to overcome the poor communication infrastructure which prevents a broad development of ITs within universities?

A new Board having been elected at this Conference, it was decided that the Task Force would be called “Working Group”, which became operational in April 2001.