University of the People

I heard a story on NPR this morning that really caught my attention. An Israeli education entrepreneur has launched a new, tuition free, all online education resource called "The University of the People." One of the UN agencies made it a featured program (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=30848&Cr=ict&Cr1) and apparently Yale Law School is a "research partner," whatever that means. I was interested in the story and the concept for a number of reasons.

First, if you go to their web site (http://www.uopeople.org/groups/free-education) you'll find that the testimonials from the existing student body (about 15,000 students if I heard the story correctly) are from developing nations or nations in conflict or post-conflict status (Viet Nam, Lebanon, etc.). There have been open universities before - my friend Bob Starbird and I offered a film making class through the DC Open University, which I think is now defunct. The difference here is that the University of the People is all online, and is available across borders to anyone with an Internet connection.

It struck me that some of the criticism they are getting is similar to the comments I heard about ODR technology several years ago - not everyone has access, there is no controlling body internationally (therefore no degrees), etc. But for some of the students who just want access to information and assistance with business concepts, and other "practical" educational opportunities, the University of the People is the only game in town, much as ODR was the only game in town for international online commerce when it first came onto the scene in the 1990's.

Now, if we can just get the University of the People to offer courses in dispute resolution . . . .