Drexel University President Dr. Constantine Papadakis Heads to International Conference in Greece to Present on Future of E-Learning

PHILADELPHIA (August 24, 2005 )—Drexel University President Dr. Constantine Papadakis , the only Greek-born president among 3,300 universities in the U.S., is in Greece to participate in the fourth international conference on New Horizons in Industry, Business and Education (NHIBE 2005). The conference will take place on August 25 and 26 at Corfu .

The NHIBE is organized by the Department of Applied Informatics and Multimedia of the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. It will focus on the globalization of business and the new technologies that must be implemented in the corporate and academic sectors to develop innovative strategies and new approaches to competition. The conference's international panel will identify those changes and focus on the necessary innovative approaches and experiences developed in education to adapt teaching to meet these requirements.

Papadakis will present on the value for colleges and universities of offering courses online. Drexel University 's distance learning for-profit affiliate, Drexel eLearning ( DeL ), is one of few online learning programs in the world that remain at the top of their market. More than 3,400 courses were offered by DeL during the 2004 academic year, with a 96 percent increase in enrollment in September 2004 versus September 2003. DeL plans to offer Executive MBA programs online to up to 2,000 managers at Telecom Italia in Rome . The University also recently signed an articulation agreement with the University of Perugia . DeL offers bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs in nursing and health professions, clinical research, business administration, information science and technology, engineering, teacher education and public health.

Other topics to be discussed at the NHIBE conference are worldwide education and industry policies, career counseling, education strategies, new educational methods, industry and education, entrepreneurship, polices for increased competitiveness, globalization, competitiveness and transition, corporate finance and governance and business strategies. Papadakis will speak about DeL 's start-up and marketing plan at the NHIBE.

Founded in 1891, Drexel is widely recognized for its focus on technology and experiential learning. The first major university to operate a fully wireless campus, Drexel is a leader in integrating emerging technologies into all aspects of its academic enterprise, which includes the largest private medical college and undergraduate engineering program in the United States .

** For more information on the NHIBE conference, visit http://nhibe2005.conferences.gr/

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News Media Contact: Niki Gianakaris , Assistant Director, Drexel News Bureau

215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu

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