"I think we need to do whatever we can to make sure that our alumni have every opportunity to advance their level of knowledge in a rapidly changing world," he said.
Harvard does not characteristically take the lead on issues like distance learning, Pei said, instead choosing "a measured approach."
"But once the University decides to get going with something, it doesn't let any other institution overshadow it," he said.
He said some continuing education programs that are currently offered to alumni are very popular, but said the University must consider the effects of issues such as copyrights and intellectual property before it ventures into distance learning.
"Harvard doesn't just jump into the latest fad. It looks to the long-term consequences," he said.
Complications
"The real question is what they can deliver," said Janet K. Poley, president of the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC), a group whose affiliates include Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University and Rutgers University.
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