UNext Forms Strategic Partnership with the Thomson Corporation

DEERFIELD, IL — UNext, a leading education company that uses the Internet to deliver courses to companies and learners throughout the world, today announced a strategic alliance with The Thomson Corporation (TSE:TOC), a global e-information and solutions company in the business and professional marketplace.

Thomson has made a strategic investment in UNext and the companies will begin to explore a range of mutually advantageous relationships involving distribution, content and technology for online education and training courses. Thomson President and Chief Executive Officer, Richard J. Harrington, has also been named to the UNext Board of Directors.

Thomsons extensive global resources, and vast educational and corporate training expertise, make it the ideal strategic partner for UNext, said Andrew M. Rosenfield, UNext chairman and chief executive officer. This partnership will assist us in expanding UNexts course offerings, services and programs and will help us reach businesses throughout the world that want to provide their employees with access to the highest quality educational programs ever offered at distance.

Thomson will assist in the distribution of UNext courses and may provide content for online courses intended for the medical, legal, and financial communities, while UNext expects to license its learning administration systems and technology platforms to Thomson. In addition, UNext will work closely with the Thomson Learning market group to pursue joint venture opportunities and strategic alliances.

UNexts depth of content, delivery infrastructure and relationships with elite schools make it a natural partner for Thomson in the corporate and academic distance learning markets. said Mr. Harrington. We are exploring a variety of co-ventures and relationships with UNext that will allow Thomson to strengthen our relationship with professional educators, broaden our customer reach in both the corporate training and testing markets, and further leverage technology across our organization.

About UNext

UNext is a privately-held company dedicated to the development and delivery of advanced business education and training via the Internet. The company incorporates advancements in cognitive science and technology to provide individuals and corporations with the resources, abilities, and skills to build human capital. UNext collaborates with Columbia Business School, Stanford University, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to bring world-class education to the global marketplace through its online learning community, Cardean University.

About The Thomson Corporation

The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 1999 revenues of $5.8 billion, is a leading, global e-information and solutions company in the business and professional marketplace. The Corporations common shares are listed on the Toronto and London stock exchanges.