A consortium of universities have launched a global MBA aimed at the Asian market.

Universitas 21 Global, a group of 16 research-led universities from around the world, have launched the programme, which they say is aimed at addressing an estimated US$111 billion global demand for higher education, in a joint venture with Thomson Learning.

Students from around the world will be able to register for the programme, which makes use of real-time Internet chat, threaded discussions and other Web-based communications tools, online announcement boards and special notepad functions for students to create their own lecture notes.

In launching the online university for student registration, Dr Mukesh Aghi, CEO of Universitas 21 Global, said, "E-learning will fast gain momentum in this region with the current shift towards an increasingly knowledge-based and -driven economy. Corporate professionals and students are under pressure to keep up and they sense the urgency to continually upgrade their skills to stay competitive and relevant in a changing world economy. Universitas 21 Global is all set to deliver a first-class education programme in Asia and beyond."