AP inks pact with e-learning platform edX

Vijayawada: In a significant step to provide study materials free of cost to an estimated 12 lakh students as part of efforts to improve their employment potential, Andhra Pradesh Government has signed MoU with the edX, a leading global E-learning platform that conducts Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

The MoU will help the students across the State to pick and pursue their chosen verticals from more than 2,000 modern and emerging courses free of cost. The MoU was signed by Higher Education Department officials and edX founder Anant Agarwal in the presence of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at the latter’s camp office at Tadepalli near here on Friday.

The programme was virtually witnessed by the Vice-Chancellors and students of 26 universities. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister reaffirmed that quality education can make our students globally competitive and fetch them high-end salaried-jobs in top-notch companies.

Right to education is old slogan but the right to quality education is the present day necessity, he said, adding that the MoU incorporates a golden chapter in the history of education in Andhra Pradesh as it helps our students get international joint certification from edX and Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge Universities and other world educational institutions. MoU with the edX is only a beginning and it may take four to five years to give its results but we have to make a beginning somewhere, he said, pointing out that steps are being taken to transform the educational system from the elementary stage to higher education level.