In this digital era also referred to as knowledge-based information society, changes are occurring rapidly and thus need to meet increasing demands in virtually all sectors of society has become paramount. One of the defining characteristics of our increasingly digital, knowledge-based information society is unprecedented pace by which patrons, consumers, citizens are expecting results. This should not be surprising given the fact that never before in human history have we witnessed the leaps and bounds in technology in recent years, leading to previously unimaginable speeds by which responses, purchases, destinations, and outcomes can be obtained. And this rate of development and demand does not appear to be slowly any time soon.

Needless to say, the field of education has also been greatly impacted, and with greater demands for expediency has come active searches for more accessible, more convenient, and more effective paths to education. This is precisely where online higher learning or cyber education comes in. Learning online offers a desirable alternative to time-consuming, distance-limiting, and sometimes prohibitively expensive offline education. Although much of the systems involved in cyber learning are relatively new, the general notion of “distance learning” is not.

Here in Korea, the government recognized the need to official address this growing demand approximately two decades ago and thus, created the Lifelong Education Act on August 31, 1999. Followed by the Lifelong Education Act Enforcement Decree and the Lifelong Education Act Enforcement Regulations on March 13, 2000. Subsequently, Hanyang Cyber University was established in March of 2002 and its primary purpose has been to likewise meet growing demands in more accessible, convenient, and effective education.

This is especially meaningful for those who had often been overlooked in traditional offline university systems, namely adults in need of updated education who are full-time workers, parents, or retirees, to name a few, for whom online education provides the perfect setting to learn.

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Prior to the opening of Hanyang Cyber University, Hanyang University had already accumulated experience in operating additional courses online for some time, such as Information and Communication Cyber University, Korea Cyber University, Including on-campus Internet-only courses, Internet parallel courses, the Korea Virtual Campus, and a regular degree program. Specifically, the Cyber Social Education course has been offered since spring semester of 2000 and since that time, Hanyang University has been purusing ways to offer open education and consumer-centered education in which anyone can learn anytime and anywhere.

From these experiences with virtual lectures, Hanyang Cyber University was confidently opened and continues on the path paved by Hanyang University. Under the Hanyang University Foundation banner, both universities aim to provide practical, high-quality education based on abundant teaching resources and development capabilities to meet the growing demands on higher education and to play a leading role in knowledge-based society.

Furthermore, by opening departments such as those in e-business, management information, computers, educational engineering, and digital design, to name a few, Hanyang Cyber University is constantly updating curricula related to information and communication technology in preparation for both current needs and the future demand.

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