Distance Education, Virtual University And Virtual Laboratory: What opportu- nities for NII in the future?

The development of Internet and of the news Information and Communication Technology tools have boosted the implementation of distance education, virtual university and virtual laboratory all around the world. Nowadays the only constant in education is change and evolution, long life learning is compulsory, and distance education will be a very powerful answer. In relation with that dictates distance open universities are the front-runners but also many classical universities have developed virtual campus where people can without leaving their work, improve their knowledge and students can tailor their program and obtain a degree. Virtual university offers advantages and has some limits that are presented. Progresses in research nowadays are increasingly the result of team of scientists who might be spread around different laboratories in the country or in the world. Moreover, they might have to share exclusive, sophisticated, expensive equipment. The development of a virtual laboratory, laboratory without walls, using all the potential of ICT is quite often the appropriate answer. Different considerations, which are presented, have to be taken into account when establishing a virtual laboratory. Finally, as a case study, what CNRS the French National Scientific Research Center has implemented is described. In each case the specific problems of Developing Countries and UNESCO policy is mentioned. Many possibilities exist for NII in each case if...