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Shai Reshef

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Shai Reshef
Portrait of Shai Reshef
President of University of the People
Incumbent
Assumed office
2009 (2009)
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
Born (1955-09-11) September 11, 1955 (age 69)
SpouseRotem Reshef
Children4
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (MA)
OccupationEntrepreneur, academic administrator

Shai Reshef is an American entrepreneur and academic administrator. He is the founder and president of the University of the People (UoPeople), the first American, non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university.[1] Upon inspection, UoP charges admission fees and fees for every class. This University is not tuition-free.

Reshef has focused his career on making higher education accessible to underserved populations globally, leveraging online platforms to provide affordable degree programs.[2] In 2023, he received the Yidan Prize for Educational Development, known as the Nobel Prize of higher education.

Early life and education

Reshef was born on September 11, 1955.[3] He earned an MA in Chinese politics from the University of Michigan.[4]

Career

Between 2001 and 2004, Reshef chaired KIT eLearning, a company that partnered with the University of Liverpool to deliver online education. This partnership made the University of Liverpool the first institution outside of the United States to offer online degree programs.[5][3]

University of the People

In January 2009, Reshef founded the University of the People (UoPeople), a non-profit, tuition-free, online university aimed at providing accessible higher education to underserved populations globally.[2] The virtual institution leverages open-source technology and volunteer academic staff to significantly reduce the costs of higher education.[6]

The university has partnerships with a number of major academic institutions, including Harvard Business School Online, NYU Abu Dhabi, McGill University, and the University of Edinburgh. UoPeople has been supported by foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Hewlett Foundation.[7][8]

Awards and recognition

Reshef has been recognized for his contributions to education through the University of the People (UoPeople). He received the Yidan Prize for Education Development in 2023.[9] In 2009, Fast Company included him among the "100 Most Creative People in Business,"[10] and he was named an Ashoka Fellow.[11] The following year, he was named the "Ultimate Game Changer in Education" by The Huffington Post in 2010.[12] Wired magazine featured him in its 2012 list of "50 People Changing the World."[13] Reshef was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the British Open University.[14]

Public speaking and advocacy

Reshef is an advocate for accessible education and has spoken at international forums such as the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Economic Forum, TED, and Google's Higher Education Summit.[11][15][16] In his public speeches, Reshef emphasizes that education is a fundamental human right and argues that it should be accessible to all, regardless of geographic or financial limitations.[16][1]

Personal life

Reshef is married to artist Rotem Reshef and has four children.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b High, Peter (March 3, 2014). "A Conversation With The President Of The World's First Non-Profit, Tuition-Free, Accredited, Online University". Forbes. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Rai, Arpan (August 18, 2023). "The Taliban destroyed women's education – but some are now fighting back". The Independent. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Shai Reshef | Speaking Fee | Booking Agent". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Wiener, Julie (January 8, 2013). "An Israeli 'Citizen Of The World'". New York Jewish Week. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  5. ^ Lewin, Tamar (January 25, 2009). "Israeli Entrepreneur Plans a Free Global University That Will Be Online Only". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Nash, Polly (February 9, 2024). "First online MBA in Arabic launched by UoPeople". The PIE News. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  7. ^ "University of the People Becomes Harvard Business School Online Collaborating College". PR Newswire. February 2, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "NYU Partners with University of the People for Global Learning Opportunity at NYU Abu Dhabi". New York University. June 9, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  9. ^ "2023 Yidan Prize: Michelene Chi and Shai Reshef awarded the world's highest accolade in education". Yidan Prize. September 27, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Kamenetz, Anya (May 20, 2009). "Educational Entrepreneur, Most Creative Person Shai Reshef Gets Round of Applause at the UN". Fast Company. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Shai Reshef | Ashoka". Ashoka. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  12. ^ Leo, Alex (September 15, 2010). "The Ultimate Education Game Changer Is Shai Reshef". HuffPost. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  13. ^ "The Smart List 2012: 50 people who will change the world". Wired. January 24, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  14. ^ Eichner, Itamar (January 10, 2023). "Israeli receives prize for University of the People". Ynet. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  15. ^ "Shai Reshef - Speakers - President, University of the People". Education World Forum. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Reissman, Hailey (March 21, 2014). "Tuition-free education for the world: Shai Reshef at TED2014 | TED Blog". TED. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
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