Nexford University (NXU) is now officially licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission (HELC). In less than a year, Nexford has closed its seed round of $4 million (April 2018), mobilized a team of full-time faculty and experts including employees from Ivy League schools and designed a curriculum based on learner and employer needs. The landmark event is recognition that the online American university, headquartered in Washington DC, in the US, meets the rigorous criteria set out by the regulatory, consumer protection body.

Fadl Al Tarzi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NXU, said: “It’s exciting knowing that we’re now able to grant licensed degree programs to help prepare learners for the global workplace. “Our mission, to enable greater social and economic mobility across the world by providing learners access to high-quality, affordable, dynamic education, is becoming a reality thanks to the vigorous efforts of our team.”

The university analyzed more than 30 million job vacancies and surveyed the employers of 2.5 million people worldwide to develop an academic model that will bridge the skills gap between learners and employers. NXU will launch its pilot program, NexFirst, in the US as well as markets such as the Philippines, Nigeria, and Egypt in January 2019.

Dr Jay A Halfond, Professor of the Practice, Boston University, said: “Nexford is building something that addresses the ever-growing need for quality, accessible, higher education.” According to a UNESCO report, the number of students in higher education will double to 262 million by 2025, fueled by India, China and Sub-Saharan Africa. To meet this demand would require launching four new universities weekly for the next 15
years.

Dr Halfond, who is also an advisory board member at NXU, added: “The world can’t build enough residential campuses to keep up with demand. The university will tackle a critical global need and fill a current void: demand for affordable, credible education.” The District of Columbia acknowledges that NXU, which will enhance learner success using technology such as AI and machine learning, offers legitimate, quality postsecondary education.

All institutions of higher education licensed by the Higher Education Licensure Commission are governed by District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Title 5, SubTitle A: Chapter 5-A80 Post-secondary Degree-Granting Institutions.

https://olatorera.com/press-release-global-skills-gap-here-to-stay-not-if-new-american-university-nexford-can-help-it/