NextGenU.org

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
What the facility does

The world’s first portal to free, accredited higher education

Areas of expertise

NextGenU is usually referred to as the world's first free university, and considered a unique potential solution to the world’s chronic shortage of skilled workers and professionals, because no other organizations offer both free, for-credit courses. Starting with a focus in the health sciences, NextGenU partners with leading universities, professional societies, and government organizations including Grand Challenges Canada, the World Bank, WHO, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All NextGenU’s courses are competency-based, and include online knowledge transfer, a web-based global peer community of practice, and local, skills-based mentorships. Our accredited partners give learners credit for this training (or institutions can adopt them and use them with their students), all (for the first time) cost-free, and also advertisement-free, barrier-free, and carbon-free.  

Research services

Research on online educational courses, collection and analysis of data

Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Arts and cultural industries
  • Clean technology
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Information and communication technologies and media
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Management and business related services
  • Ocean industries
  • Policy and governance
  • Professional and technical services (including legal services, architecture, engineering)
Specialized lab Equipment Function
NextGenU.org research NextGenU.org data Research on portal to free, accredited higher education
  • American College of Preventive Medicine
  • Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotà
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS)
  • University of Missouri
  • University of the Incarnate Word
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Stanford University