The role of the universities in the international distribution of knowledge is examined. An introduction by Irving J. Spitzberg, Jr. provides an overview of the volume. Part I: Analytical Context includes: "Universities and the New International Order: A Conceptual Analysis" (Spitzberg); "Knowledge as a Commodity: The Inequities of Knowledge Creation" (Budd L. Hall); and "The University as Center and Periphery" (Philip G. Altbach). Part II: Case Studies examines: "Maple Leaf, British Bough, American Branch: Canadian Higher Education in Developmental Perspective" (Edward Silva); "The Myth of Educational Planning: The Case of the Indochinese University, 1906-1938" (Gail P. Kelly); "Collective Scientific Self-Reliance: Possibilities and Limitations" (Thomas Eisemon, Yakov Rabkin, and Eva Rathgeber); and "The Growth of Social Science in East Africa: Notes on the Development of University-Based Knowledge" (David Court). Part III: Strategies for the Future includes: "Universities, International Organizations, and the Exploration of Alternative Futures for World Order" (John E. Fobes); "Notes on Enlightenment and Transnational Cooperation" (Spitzberg); and "Politics and Economics in the Third World University: Some Analytical Insights" (Mitchell Harwitz and Abraham Haspel). Among the several conclusions are: a research agenda must examine more case studies from the universities; research studies are needed on the role of particular universities in a variety of national settings in the generation and flow of knowledge concerning specific topic areas; further research is needed for constructing frameworks for investigating the distribution of knowledge; and more knowledge is needed on the universities as political institutions in their international and national context. Information on the authors and an index are provided. (LC)