This volume, the first of two, documents a selection of current worldwide research and activities and new developments in the area of distance-taught higher education. An introductory editorial summarizes the current status of distance teaching in higher education and identifies trends drawn from the reports collected. Details of origins, size, the student body, courses, media and methods, production and delivery systems, government, and finance are provided for Deakin University and the University of New England, Australia; the Radio and Television Universities of the People's Republic of China; University of the South Pacific, Fiji; University of Air (Hoso Diagaku), Japan; Allama Iqbal Open University, Pakistan; Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand; and the Open University, United Kingdom. Other international initiatives and developments are outlined in reports describing the Centres de Tele-enseignement Universitaire and Ecole Normale Superieure de Saint-Cloud, France; distance education in Swedish Universities; the International Council for Distance Education Research Committee; and the United Nations University/International Centre for Distance Learning. (LMM)