A US partnership will supply academic content to universities around the world

Laureate founder Douglas Becker is partnering with Arizona State U, “to bring the institution’s experience and innovations to colleges and universities worldwide,” through Cintana Education.

ASU is big in the distance ed space (40 000 online students, a third of its total) and a member of the PLuS Alliance, (“global solutions for a sustainable future”) with UNSW and Kings College London.

ASU now provides, via edX, the global freshman academy which; “offers individuals of all backgrounds the opportunity to take the same courses, from the same faculty as on-campus ASU students. Through this program, you can earn transferable ASU credit from anywhere in the world, and pay tuition only if you earn the grade you need.”

The new Cintana JV will work “primarily” with not-for-profit universities and “partner with government entities and the private sector to support the development of start-up universities equipped to meet the needs of their countries.” The plan is to provide a network “that allows students to earn degrees across multiple institutions.”

UNSW is exploring the same space, offering MOOCs in India via a local provider. “There is a mismatch between where the need and demand for higher education is globally, and where the expertise resides,” VC Ian Jacobs said in June.