摘要：We are pleased to announce for further circulation that the Journal will publish a Special Issue in 2012 on the technical reforms for ODL that we are now seeing in Asia. The Special Issue will focus on some of the political, financial and other management reforms that universities in particular are implementing for various reasons. The aim here is for universities to share the underlying rationale and methods being used for reform, and what challenges are being tackled and what opportunities enjoyed. University presidents and the executive officers have understandably little experience of this current crisis. The whole concept of an institution, first put together for the mass industrialization after the steam engine was invented, is now under review. Some universities are solid and attract expensive conferences and museum visitors as usual, while others are being forced to merge or shutdown. In East Asia the population itself can no longer support the present number of universities and some will be forced to close. What strategies are being considered for improving and evolving in this current era ? Are these strategies contextual to local regions or are they relevant to faraway contexts ? These are some of the questions that will be answered next year. The theme for this present Issue is the technical reforms that we are seeing in many major universities. After this cycle, we should expect to see a return to improving our quality assurance inre
