Social networking meets academia with University of the People, a nonprofit, tuition-free Internet university set to launch this fall. Available to any English speaker with an Internet connection, this venture is the first of its kind, though universities have long offered web-based classes and lecture materials.
Founder Shai Refesh, an Israeli entrepreneur, plans to build enrolment to 10,000 over five years. “With these new social networks, where young people now like to spend their lives, we can bring college degrees to students all over the world, [including] third-world students who would be unable to study otherwise,” he said.
Critics question the school’s ability to find quality instructors, administer tests, and meet the needs of students from non-English speaking countries.
Although the university is essentially free, students will have to pay small fees for enrolment and exams, which are on a sliding scale according to their country of origin.
