Coursera to help universities and colleges take learning online in response to the coronavirus threat
New Delhi: The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is the most serious global health security threat in decades. In many countries, restrictions imposed by government agencies have disrupted daily routines for millions, including students. Many universities in the impacted regions have suspended face-to-face seminars, closed campuses, and are scrambling to find a solution to minimize disruption for their students. In India too, the government has announced the closure of schools and colleges in Kerala, Jammu, Karnataka, and others.
37.4 million students are enrolled in higher education in India. An interruption in education delivery could cause economic disruption. Anticipating the potential impact of the outbreak in India, starting today, Coursera will provide impacted Indian universities with free access to its course catalog through Coursera for Campus. Universities can sign up to provide their enrolled students with access to more than 3,800 courses and 400 Specializations from Coursera’s top university and industry partners. These institutions will have access until July 31, 2020, after which we plan to provide month-to-month extensions depending on prevailing risk assessments. Students who enroll on or before July 31 will continue to have access until Sept. 30, 2020.
Jeff Maggioncalda, Chief Executive Officer, Coursera said, “we are honored to be serving fellow institutions and student communities during this crisis. We are fortunate to have university and industry partners, who have been at the forefront of responding to the challenges humanity has faced from time to time. Inspired by their support and consistent with our mission of serving learners everywhere, we are launching this global effort to assist universities and colleges seeking to offer online courseware in response to the coronavirus.”
Over the next few days, Coursera will also hold webinars and share more resources, including experiences from its partner community, to help institutions looking to transition online during this crisis.
Over the past few weeks, Duke University has been using Coursera for Campus to serve impacted students at their Duke Kunshan campus in China. This effort has been swiftly adopted by students and widely recognized by the broader community. Coursera for Campus can be an effective resource to help all higher education institutions respond to the impact of coronavirus.