BERKELEY, Calif., and
CAPE TOWN, South Africa,
Jan. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/
-- 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU), a global leader in digital
education, today announced a new collaboration between its wholly
owned subsidiary GetSmarter and the UC Berkeley School of
Information. GetSmarter is a leader in collaborating with top-tier
universities to offer premium online short courses to working
professionals. The UC Berkeley School of Information, better known
as the I School, conducts research that explores the implications
for individuals and society as information and digital technologies
are increasingly embedded in all aspects of human experience. Its
professional master's degrees prepare students to design and build
the systems that will shape the way humans live and interact in the
future.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with the I School on our first
GetSmarter relationship with an existing 2U university partner," 2U
CEO and Co-Founder Christopher "Chip" Paucek said. "This unique
partnership demonstrates our joint commitment to delivering on
closing the skills gap and increasing access to education across
the globe."
A recent PwC study found that by 2021, 69 percent of employers
will give preference to candidates with data science and analytics
skills, yet it is estimated that only 23 percent of college and
university graduates will have those skills.
"Based in close proximity to the world's technology hub in
Silicon Valley and San Francisco,
UC Berkeley and the I School are proven leaders in educating the
world's best data scientists and information professionals. Our new
partnership is an unparalleled opportunity for GetSmarter to bring
that expertise and track record to the global market through
dynamic, in-demand short courses for working professionals,"
GetSmarter CEO and Co-Founder Sam
Paddock said.
This partnership with the UC Berkeley I School will enable
GetSmarter to work with world-renowned faculty to develop a diverse
portfolio of technology-focused short courses using GetSmarter's
highly-effective, people-mediated approach to online learning
design.
"Our partnership with GetSmarter will allow the I School to
educate and better prepare the next generation of working
professionals around the world for jobs in the data-driven, global
economy. By complementing our degree programs with graduate-level
short courses, we can more rapidly respond to the changing demands
of the workplace and more effectively meet the needs of students
and professionals who are looking to develop critical data and
analytic skills," I School Dean and Professor AnnaLee "Anno"
Saxenian said.
The I School and GetSmarter plan to launch their first short
course in October 2018.
GetSmarter delivers personalized coaching, iterative academic
feedback from subject experts, and 24/7 technical support for
students. Its course design heavily relies upon interactive
features and student participation, allowing students to
collaborate, share knowledge, and network professionally.
Be the first to know when the I School
short courses go live by emailing
comingsoon@getsmarter.com.
About the UC Berkeley School of Information
UC Berkeley's School of Information (I School) is a graduate
research and education community committed to expanding access to
information and improving its usability, reliability, and
credibility while preserving security and privacy. This requires
the insights of scholars from varied fields — information and
computer science, design, social sciences, management, law, and
policy. We bring together this diverse group of faculty to teach
our four degree programs, two on campus and two online, and combine
academic excellence with the intimacy and camaraderie that foster
successful learning and discovery. Learn more at
https://www.ischool.berkeley.edu
About 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)
2U partners with great colleges and universities to build what
we believe is the world's best digital education. Our platform
provides a comprehensive fusion of technology, services and data
architecture to transform high-quality and rigorous campus-based
universities into the best digital versions of themselves. 2U's No
Back Row® approach allows qualified students and working
professionals around the world to experience a first-rate
university education and successful outcomes. Learn more at
https://2u.com
About GetSmarter
GetSmarter, a wholly owned subsidiary of 2U, Inc., is an online
education company collaborating with leading universities to
present career-focused online short programmes. GetSmarter's
high-touch, people-driven approach to online learning – centered
around the importance of human support – has resulted in an
aggregate completion rate consistently above 90 percent serving
more than 48,000 participants over almost a decade. Learn more at
https://www.getsmarter.com
Media Contacts:
UC Berkeley School of Information
Kristi Mitchell
kristi@ischool.berkeley.edu
+1 (510) 643-4206
2U, Inc.
Molly Greenberg
mgreenberg@2U.com
+1 (339) 927-5436
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SOURCE 2U, Inc.; UC Berkeley School of Information