Joseph Becker
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 join the program.