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Dear,

As 2025 continues to bring extraordinary milestones, we remain inspired by the UoPeople community. We are proud to highlight new partnerships, international recognition, and uplifting stories that capture our mission to break down barriers in higher education.

Recently, I had the honor of meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican who congratulated us on our work to support displaced communities. The meeting took place during the Refugees & Migrants in Our Common Home conference in Rome. Making higher education accessible to displaced learners is deeply personal to me and exploring how we can expand access for these communities with like-minded colleagues made for a productive conference in Rome.

New IBM SkillsBuild Partnership: Opening Doors for Students

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with IBM’s SkillsBuild initiative. This collaboration lets UoPeople students pursue industry-recognized, credit-bearing IBM credentials in the high-demand career fields of Cybersecurity and Data Analytics—at no cost. These credentials are taught by IBM experts and count towards a UoPeople degree.

Coca-Cola Foundation collaborates with UoPeople in scholarship support

It is my pleasure to share with you that the Coca-Cola Foundation has given $800,000 to UoPeople to fuel scholarships for first-generation students. The grant supports the shared missions of UoPeople and the Coca-Cola Foundation Scholars program that seeks to open the gates to higher education for learners who may not otherwise have access to higher education.

In the News: Student Stories and Global Recognition

University of the People continues to make headlines for innovation and impact. Highlights from recent media coverage include:

The Nigerian Tribune profiled Abdulrahman, a Nigerian student whose dreams of higher education were reignited thanks to UoPeople. Read here

Silicon Valley’s Journal published my op-ed on the reality behind tuition-free university promises and how UoPeople is setting a new global standard. Read here

Philadelphia TV (PHL17) spotlighted UoPeople’s leadership in adopting AI for online classrooms. Read here

The Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted UoPeople’s commitment to providing a pathway for working adults and refugees. Read here

Looking Ahead

None of these advances would be possible without your continued belief in our mission. Together, we prove that education knows no borders, and that with every new partnership, student story, and global accolade, we are changing lives around the world.

With deepest gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead,

All my best,

Shai Reshef

Founder & President

University of the People

The world’s first non-profit, tuition-free, accredited, online university dedicated to opening access to higher education globally.

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