'India is moving fast, but there are gaps to be filled in education'

Q&A with Shai Reshef, president and founder, University of the People

University of the People, the US-accredited tuition-free online university, is planning to launch more courses to cater to the needs of the job market. In an interview with M Saraswathy, Shai Reshef, president and founder, University of the People talks about their strategy and plans. Excerpts: 

Q. How does the university work?

University of the People is for those who cannot afford to go to college due to financial reasons. We offer tuition-free accredited online programmes. The university has over 2,500 students in more than 170 countries, including India, as well as the backing of big names in higher education and plans to expand into more degree areas.

We use the worldwide presence of the Internet and dropping technology costs to bring tuition-free undergraduate degree programs to qualified high school graduates around the world. Classes are for nine weeks and every week each student has to make an original contribution to the class discussions and also comment on what others said in peer-to-peer learning.

Q. How will the courses be beneficial for Indian students?

The university offers Associates and Bachelors degree programs in Business Administration and Computer Science. These are the courses that are one of the most relevant in the industry.

If you look at India, it is moving fast, but if you look at education there are gaps to be filled. Also, education is not as per the market needs with respect to skills. One way to do it is to go online. Since this is a degree programme, students are far more serious. The class size is also only 20 per class and there is a lot of interaction that takes place between the students and instructor. 

Q. Are there any challenges of operating in this space?

Perception about online programmes is not very high. However, unlike other online programmes, we have a 95% graduation rate. Further, our students can also pursue a programme at any leading university. The university is affiliated with the United Nations GAID, the Clinton Global Initiative, and Yale Law School. We have also signed collaborative partnership agreements with New York University (NYU) to accept students.

Q. Is there a recognition for students from companies as well?

University of the People has partnered with Microsoft for scholarships, internships and job opportunities, as well as with Hewlett-Packard (HP) to provide student internship opportunities. For students who cannot afford the university’s modest $100 examination fees ($4,000 for a full four-year degree), the university has a wide range of scholarships available. 

Q. What are the new courses that will be launched by the university?

We are in the process of developing two more courses. This includes a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and course on health sciences. The motto is to teach programmes that are most relevant for students.