[Ubuntu-PH] UN announces launch of world’s first tuition-free, online university

[Yolynne Medina]

FYI

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=28702&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

UN announces launch of world’s first tuition-free, online university

27-05-2009 (New York)

Link to the University of the People: http://www.uopeople.org/Default.aspx
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A leading arm of the United Nations working to spread the benefits of
information technology announced last week the launch of the first
ever tuition-free online university. As part of this year’s focus on
education, the UN Global Alliance for Information and Communication
Technology and Development (GAID) presented the newly formed
University of the People, a non-profit institution offering higher
education to the masses.

“This year the Global Alliance has focused its attention on education
[and] on how ICT can advance education goals around the world,” Serge
Kapto from GAID told a press conference at UN Headquarters in New
York.

For hundreds of millions of people around the world higher education
is no more than a dream, Shai Reshef, the founder of the University of
the People, told reporters. They are constrained by finances, the lack
of institutions in their region, or they are not able to leave home to
study at a university for personal reasons.

Mr Reshef said that this University opened the gate to these people to
continue their studies from home and at minimal cost by using
open-source technology, open course materials, e-learning methods and
peer-to-peer teaching.

Admission opened just over two weeks ago; and without any promotion
some 200 students from 52 countries have already registered, with a
high school diploma and a sufficient level of English as entry
requirements.

Students will be placed in classes of 20, after which they can log on
to a weekly lecture, discuss its themes with their peers and take a
test - all online. There are voluntary professors, post-graduate
students and students in other classes who can also offer advice and
consultation.

The only charge to students is a $15 to $50 admission fee, depending
on their country of origin, and a processing fee for every test
ranging from $10 to $100. For the University to sustain its operation,
it needs 15,000 students and $6 million, of which Mr Reshef has
donated $1 million of his own money.
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