Through the Center for Media Design, students and faculty might learn that the world is indeed a small one.
During the center's opening ceremony Thursday, demonstrations were shown of the communication technology that can reach as far as South Korea.
"The global media network is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between languages, cultures and ideas," said Kew Hong Park, vice president of Kyung Hee University in South Korea.
Even though Park was sitting at a desk halfway across the world in South Korea, ceremony attendants could see his image live on a television screen and talk with him as well.
"Digital media is an important part of shaping technology and our world," Park said.
The center is the centerpiece of the iCommunication project funded by the Lilly Endowment.
The theme of the center is partnering with others to create new technological opportunities, said Blaine Brownell, university president.
That partnership includes three facets: education, content and industry, Brownell said.
Kyung Hee University is one of the center's educational partners.
"We want to make Ball State a virtual portal for global education," Brownell said.
The main method to get that task accomplished is to partner with technology and media industries, other universities and educational centers and students, said David Ferguson, director of the center. Together, those organizations will create and test projects to further digital communication and learning opportunities for students.
One of the 40 projects that the center is currently working on includes a health initiative that will enable students to access the Health Center after regular office hours, Ferguson said.
Using the same technology that enabled Park to speak from South Korea, students can talk with a nurse online to receive medical help, Ferguson said.
The initiative will have a trial run from the last week of March through early April. Another test of the health initiative will run throughout next school year, Ferguson said.
Costs for the health service, once in regular use, are not yet known, said Rodger Smith, associate director of the center.
The health initiative is just one of many ideas the center has that could transform services available for students, Smith said.
"Every project creates possibilities for change on campus," Smith said.
The research produced by the center also creates economic advantages for the university through industrial partnerships, Ferguson said.
Through pooling money and resources, the university can accomplish technology and media research on its own rather than waiting for the state to fund such endeavors, Ferguson said.
"We're kidding ourselves if we think we can sit back and wait for legislation to pass," he said. "We have to be innovative."
Brownell said he feels the educational benefits the center will provide will be invaluable.
"The opportunity for students to participate will be a real payoff," Brownell said. "What better way to prepare graduates for this area (technology). They won't miss a beat."
Brownell said what's even more important than the technology being developed is the way it is being applied for real-world uses, such as the health initiative.
"We're trying to explore ways to use technology for productive purposes," Brownell said.
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