English

Shai Reshef knows by heart that education has the power to change lives. As he built a career in the business of education, he saw the potential for technology and the internet to lower barriers to access — and eventually brought his experiences together to launch the world’s first non-profit, US-accredited, tuition-free online university that is University of the People. 

Since 2009, University of the People grew from an inaugural class of 177 students to over 152,000 globally. It’s a gateway to higher education for many students who face financial, geographical, cultural, or political barriers. Some come from countries where university places are scarce and out of reach due to low incomes and constrained resources. 18,800 are refugees; 4,300 are Afghan women studying in the safety of their homes. In addition to its English and Arabic curriculum, University of People is developing a Spanish language program to reach even more learners in need of access. 

University of the People keeps many of the benefits of a traditional university experience: class sizes of just 25 on average, personalized attention, and dedicated advising service. Students also learn collaboratively within online study communities, where they can share resources, exchange ideas, discuss weekly topics, and submit assignments and exams. 

As a High-level Adviser to the United Nations Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID), Shai works closely with the organization to cultivate a platform for inclusive policy dialogue around the role of technology in education. And as an expert speaker and guest lecturer, his passion for open conversation and collaboration has seen him speak at events from the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa to the UNDESA-GAID Global Forum Mexico.