The Cyberspace Challenge: Modernity, post-modernity and reflections on international networking policy

The emergence of global communications networks raises many new questions on the nature of pluralism, community, the delivery of education, the construction of knowledge and the role of comparative educators in a post-Cold War, post-industrialized world. Issues of ownership and power, how knowledge and services are defined and distributed and how technological 'have-nots' are given full and autonomous access to networks will become major policy issues. Educators will need to broaden their perspectives to be more interdisciplinary and knowledgeable of trends and learnings in many different professional and occupation areas if they are to effectively meet the increasing challenges to traditional learning and institutions posed by the new network environment. The author addresses these issues, cites his learning from the rapidly growing area of telemedicine and concludes with recommendations to assist comparative educators address a growing international crisis in education.