For most of us, obtaining a degree is a necessary step on the path to our chosen careers. However the considerable financial outlay required can be preventative, particularly in the current financial climate. Tuition fees, textbooks, travel and living expenses add up, and many young people come to the end of their studies in huge amounts of debt. (If any Hugh Hefner-a-likes would like to pay off my five-figure student loan, please do get in touch).

However an Israeli entrepreneur may have come up with a solution. This April, University of the People will open its virtual doors. The non-profit venture will be the first global, tuition-free Internet university. UoP will make use of peer-to-peer teaching, and collaborative and open-source eLearning. The curriculum and teaching will be provided by an international community of active and retired professors, librarians and postgrads. Using Web 2.0 technology will allow students to create online study communities, share resources and discuss their studies.Assignments will be submitted and assessments taken online. Personally, I’ve always wanted to take an exam in my pyjamas!

UoP will not ask students to pay for tuition, although there will be application and examination fees ($15-$50 and $10-$100 respectively) which may be on a sliding scale based on the economic situation in the student’s country of origin.

Many universities around the world already post their courses online for free. The Open Courseware Consortium has links to course materials on a huge range of subjects that you can download. You could study Gender, Sexuality, and Society at M.I.T, Poverty in Scotland at the Open University or Metabolic Engineering at Osaka University. However the UoP will be the first online institution to offer accredited degrees whether you live in Nigeria or Norway. Considering how much of our interaction already takes place online via email, chat or social networking sites, this is the logical next step in Higher Education, and levelling the playing field for those of us who don’t have parents with deep pockets. I’m not sure how online Freshers Week takes place, but I’m fairly sure it doesn’t involve strip poker, or vodka shots. Which, if you ask me, can only be a good thing for your dignity and your neurones.

www.uopeople.com
www.ocwconsortium.org