Law students yesterday met lecturers for their first-year course via a video teleconference satellite link with a British university.

The faces of the faculty at the University of Kent, in Canterbury, England, were beamed into Bermuda College's South Hall so that 18 local students could meet the people who will be chairing their lectures.

The sophisticated device, one of a kind on the Island, used a camera, a huge television screen and sensitive sound technology to actually make it possible for two groups of people thousands of miles apart to see and hear each other without any delay.

The conference lasted about 40 minutes during which time the students were able to meet the people who would be teaching them and ask questions about the course.

College lecturer Walton Brown explained that this was the first time equipment like this had been used in Bermuda to link a faculty with its students.

"This is a remarkable and very impressive programme,'' he said.

"I'm pleased to see that it's online and I also look forward to a long relationship with the faculty at the University of Kent.'' This, however, is only the beginning. Modern technology will allow students to listen to lectures, given in the UK, while remaining on the Island.

This is accomplished by each segment of the nine-month course being compressed into a sound file, loaded onto the Internet and downloaded by the Bermudians in the comfort of their own home.

Vice president of Academic Affairs Donald Peters explained the advantages the new programme.

"For one thing it will be much cheaper for students to stay here while learning than to travel overseas and find somewhere to stay,'' he said.

"Also, this system allows students to get a taste of studying law before deciding it's really right for them.''