As relatively wealthy developed countries struggle to fund their mass higher education systems, many poor developing countries are still struggling to establish reasonable access to primary education.  With the enormous capital and infrastructure costs associated with on-campus higher education, it is little wonder that developing countries wishing to create greater access are increasingly looking at distance education to provide the solution.

In addition to the economic imperative mentioned above, distance education has other advantages and some disadvantages.  This section raises just a few of these:

	the role of DE in facilitating lifelong learning,
	DE and fears of globalisation
	the importance of embracing difference in the postmodern globalised world.

Given these considerations, is it possible to develop a post-colonial system of distance education for developing countries which facilitates individual learning and national development, and which affirms indigenous cultural identity and knowledge in the context of other cultural identities and knowledge?

This question forms the basis of this website on research on distance education for developing countries.