Remote Student Exchange

Remote Student Exchange

Motivation

Remote classes can dramatically expand access to quality education for students in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), while at the same time enhancing courses with the addition of diverse, new perspectives. The COVID-19 Pandemic provided a unique opportunity to pilot a new model of open education– most courses transitioned online, giving US and Europe based professors the chance to easily open up their courses to students from around the world. Providing access to remote classes may also bolster opportunities for LMIC students to conduct rigorous research through greater access to the cutting-edge work being done in their field and being able to form linkages with researchers from top universities.

Activities

Remote Student Exchange (RSE) was a platform connecting students from LMICs with professors around the world to participate in remote classes free of charge. Launched in January 2021 as a collaboration between Stockholm University and CEGA, RSE offered access to nearly 30 courses in economics, big data, engineering, psychology, and more, taught by faculty at top universities, including Harvard, Oxford, the University of California, Berkeley, University of Zurich, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Unlike other initiatives in this area, selected students were offered the option to join regular classes at these institutions as guest participants in the class.