In 1982, James Grier Miller founded an organization named the
University of the World and opened offices in La Jolla,
California. His purpose was to create an organization that would
link existing educational institutions in all countries so the
consortium as a whole could serve the educational needs of
students of all countries. Miller believed that the doctrine of
equal access to knowledge applied to all people. The premise
behind the University of the World is that a better educated
world will yield improved international understanding and offer
all people a better chance for peace and prosperity. The
University of the World has been designed to use electronic
telecommunications to disseminate educational resources to
students and faculty in all countries. When computer and
television technology are interconnected in the same
telecommunications system, the combination will provide a new
educational environment for student-teacher interaction in
distance education. In 1988, some 77 countries were invited to