Chad Clark's Open Journal : 2009-06-08

1) UN announces launch of world's first tuition-free, online university

The www.un.org announcement reads:

  As part of this year's focus on education, the UN Global Alliance for
  Information and Communication Technology and Development (GAID) presented
  the newly formed University of the People, a non-profit institution
  offering higher education to the masses
  
  ...
  
  For hundreds of millions of people around the world higher education is
  no more than a dream, Shai Reshef, the founder of the University of the
  People, told reporters. They are constrained by finances, the lack of
  institutions in their region, or they are not able to leave home to study
  at a university for personal reasons.
  
  ...
  
  Admission opened just over two weeks ago and without any promotion some
  200 students from 52 countries have already registered, with a high
  school diploma and a sufficient level of English as entry requirements.
  
  ...
  
  The only charge to students is a $15 to $50 admission fee, depending on
  their country of origin, and a processing fee for every test ranging from
  $10 to $100. For the University to sustain its operation, it needs 15,000
  students and $6 million, of which Mr. Reshef has donated $1 million of
  his own money.