Coursera

Impact in brief • 3 min read 

Coursera

Universities can often seem inaccessible. Sometimes, potential students live too far from a campus to ever consider enrolling, while others aren’t in a position to enroll financially. 

Coursera understands that education needs to adapt to individuals. That’s why they partner with more than 200 leading universities and companies to bring flexible, online learning to people in a range of circumstances. 

THE STORY OF MAHMUD

Meet Mahmud Angrini, a Syrian medical doctor. In 2011, he had just graduated with a Master’s degree in Laboratory Medicine from Aleppo University – and was also preparing to start a doctorate on a scholarship. 

But when the Syrian civil war broke out, he lost everything.

“I lost my house and my lab, and my scholarship was suspended. Once a successful physician, my family and I turned into one of the millions of Syrian refugees,” Mahmud says. 

“I didn’t just lose my properties, I also lost all my relations – friends and supporting family members. I felt sad, depressed, bored and isolated. But then one day while I was surfing the Internet, I found Coursera’s website,” he adds. 

Mahmud says Coursera changed his life. He enrolled in courses in disciplines as varied as medicine and Greek and Roman mythology.

“The courses and the interesting knowledge in them helped me forget my pain, depression and suffering, replacing my pessimism with hope and entertainment,” he says.

“I really appreciate what Coursera staff, professors and students have done for me. You’ve really [made] my life easier,” Mahmud says. 

Coursera was founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng in 2012 with a vision of providing life-transforming learning experiences to learners around the world. Coursera received B Corp certification in February 2021, which means the company has a duty not only to shareholders, but to also make a positive impact on society more broadly.

COURSERA QUICK FACTS

• 87 million registered learners around the world.
• 6,000 campus, business and government customers.
• Coursera offers products at a wide range of prices, from free-to-audit courses to $30,000-degree programs.

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