What if the next great breakthrough in cancer treatment or developing alternative fuels resides in the mind of someone living today? And what if that next great advance never develops into reality because that person is unable to obtain the necessary higher education due to expense or geo-political realities?
Educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef realized the potential we could be missing and launched University of the People (UoP), a tuition-free, nonprofit online university dedicated to opening access to higher education. UoP provides access to collegiate-level studies to qualified individuals regardless of geographic, financial or societal constraints.
On Wednesday's Up to Date, our TEDxKC series continues as guest-host Brian Ellison talks with Shai Reshef about what the intersection of education and technology can do as the cost of education continues to climb. They also discuss his vision for the university "grounded in the belief that knowledge is a key ingredient of world peace."
Shai Reshef is the President of University of the People (UoPeople)—the world’s tuition-free, non-profit online academic institution dedicated to opening access to higher education. Reshef has 20 years of experience in the international education market, including having served as Chairman of the Kidum Group, a for-profit educational services company, and chaired KIT eLearning, the online learning partner of the University of Liverpool and the first online university outside of the United States. He was named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business; joined UN-GAID as a High-level Adviser; selected by the Huffington Post readership as the Ultimate Game Changer in Education; and nominated as one of Wired Magazine’s “50 People Changing the World.” Reshef holds a M.A. in Chinese Politics from the University of Michigan.
