Shai Reshef
{{Short description|Israeli entrepreneur and academic administrator}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Shai Reshef
| spouse = Rotem Reshef
| term_start = {{Start date|2009}}
| website =
| occupation = Entrepreneur, academic administrator
| alma_mater = University of Michigan (MA)
| residence =
| children = 4
| office = President of University of the People
| birth_place =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|9|11}}
| termend =
| predecessor = Position established
| caption = Portrait of Shai Reshef
| image = Shai Reshef.jpg
| succeeded =
| native_name = שי רשף
| native_name_lang = he
}}
Shai Reshef ({{Langx|he|שי רשף}}) is an American entrepreneur and academic administrator. He is the founder and president of the University of the People (UoPeople), the first American, non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university.{{Cite web |last=High |first=Peter |title=A Conversation With The President Of The World's First Non-Profit, Tuition-Free, Accredited, Online University |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2014/03/03/a-conversation-with-the-president-of-worlds-first-non-pro%EF%AC%81t-tuition-free-accredited-online-university/ |date=March 3, 2014 |access-date=June 11, 2024 |website=Forbes }}
In 2023, he received the Yidan Prize for Educational Development.
Early life and education
Reshef was born on September 11, 1955. He earned an MA in Chinese politics from the University of Michigan.{{Cite web |last=Wiener |first=Julie |date=January 8, 2013 |title=An Israeli 'Citizen Of The World' |url=http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/an-israeli-citizen-of-the-world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120154831/https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/an-israeli-citizen-of-the-world/ |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |access-date=April 17, 2020 |website=New York Jewish Week |language=en-US}}
Career
Between 2001 and 2004, Reshef chaired KIT eLearning, a company that partnered with the University of Liverpool to deliver online education. This partnership made the University of Liverpool the first institution outside of the United States to offer online degree programs.{{cite news |last=Lewin |first=Tamar |date=January 25, 2009 |title=Israeli Entrepreneur Plans a Free Global University That Will Be Online Only |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/education/26university.html |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite web |title=Shai Reshef {{!}} Speaking Fee {{!}} Booking Agent |url=https://www.allamericanspeakers.com/speakers/392116/Shai-Reshef |access-date=June 11, 2024 |website=www.allamericanspeakers.com |language=en}}
=University of the People=
In January 2009, Reshef founded the University of the People (UoPeople), a non-profit, tuition-free, online university aimed at providing accessible higher education to underserved populations globally.{{cite news |last1=Rai |first1=Arpan |title=The Taliban destroyed women’s education – but some are now fighting back |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/afghanistan-taliban-women-education-university-b2395254.html |access-date=September 13, 2024 |work=The Independent |date=August 18, 2023 }} The virtual institution leverages open-source technology and volunteer academic staff to significantly reduce the costs of higher education.{{cite news |last1=Nash |first1=Polly |title=First online MBA in Arabic launched by UoPeople |url=https://thepienews.com/uopeople-launches-first-online-american-mba-in-arabic/ |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=The PIE News |date=February 9, 2024}}
The university has partnerships with a number of major academic institutions, including Harvard Business School Online, NYU Abu Dhabi, McGill University, and the University of Edinburgh. UoPeople has been supported by foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Hewlett Foundation.{{cite news |title=University of the People Becomes Harvard Business School Online Collaborating College |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-the-people-becomes-harvard-business-school-online-collaborating-college-301220387.html |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=PR Newswire |date=February 2, 2021 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=NYU Partners with University of the People for Global Learning Opportunity at NYU Abu Dhabi |url=https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2011/june/nyu-partners-with-uopeople.html |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=New York University |date=June 9, 2011 |language=en}}
Awards and recognition
He received the Yidan Prize for Education Development in 2023.{{cite news |title=2023 Yidan Prize: Michelene Chi and Shai Reshef awarded the world’s highest accolade in education |url=https://www.yidanprize.org/newsroom/press-releases/2023-yidan-prize-announcement |access-date=June 11, 2024 |work=Yidan Prize |date=September 27, 2023}} In 2009, Fast Company included him among the "100 Most Creative People in Business."{{cite news |last1=Kamenetz |first1=Anya |title=Educational Entrepreneur, Most Creative Person Shai Reshef Gets Round of Applause at the UN |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1283491/educational-entrepreneur-most-creative-person-shai-reshef-gets-round-applause-un |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=Fast Company |date=May 20, 2009}} The following year, he was named the "Ultimate Game Changer in Education" by The Huffington Post in 2010.{{cite news |last1=Leo |first1=Alex |title=The Ultimate Education Game Changer Is Shai Reshef |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/who-is-the-ultimate-game_n_703679 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=HuffPost |date=September 15, 2010 |language=en}} Wired magazine featured him in its 2012 list of "50 People Changing the World."{{cite news |title=The Smart List 2012: 50 people who will change the world |url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-smart-list/ |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=Wired |date=January 24, 2012}}
Public speaking and advocacy
Reshef is an advocate for accessible education and has spoken at international forums such as the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Economic Forum, TED, and Google's Higher Education Summit.{{cite web |title=Shai Reshef {{!}} Ashoka |url=https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/fellow/shai-reshef |website=Ashoka |access-date=September 30, 2024 |language=en-us}}{{cite web |title=Shai Reshef - Speakers - President, University of the People |url=https://www.theewf.org/speakers/view/shai-reshef |website=Education World Forum |access-date=September 30, 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Reissman |first1=Hailey |title=Tuition-free education for the world: Shai Reshef at TED2014 {{!}} TED Blog |url=https://blog.ted.com/tuition-free-education-for-the-world-shai-reshef-at-ted2014/ |access-date=September 30, 2024 |work=TED |date=March 21, 2014}} In his public speeches, Reshef emphasizes that education is a fundamental human right and argues that it should be accessible to all, regardless of geographic or financial limitations.
Personal life
Reshef is married to artist Rotem Reshef and has four children.
References
{{reflist|3}}
External links
{{Commons category|Shai Reshef}}
- {{TED speaker|shai_reshef|Shai Reshef}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reshef, Shai}}
Category:Israeli company founders
Category:University of Michigan alumni
Category:University of the People faculty
Category:Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Category:University and college founders
Category:Israeli academic administrators
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)