Event overview
Georgia Tech's new online Master's programme is 90% cheaper than a university degree. Dr. Zvi Galil describes the evolution and potential consequences of this game-changing project.
In May 2013, Georgia Tech (together with its partners Udacity and AT&T) announced a new online Master's degree in Computer Science based on massively open online courses (MOOCs). A complete degree would cost less than $7000 compared to over $40,000 in public universities and over $70,000 in private universities. The first of its kind, the programme was launched in January 2014.
The reaction to this programme has been unprecedented. There have been numerous news articles about it. It was described to potentially be a "game changer" and "the first real step in the transformation of higher education in the US."
Starting with small enrollment of about 400, the programme had over 2800 students within a year and a half of the launch.
This talk will describe the new programme; how it came about, its first five semesters and what we've learned from them. We will also discuss its potential effect on higher education.
All welcome.
Date: Friday 16 October 2015
Room: RHB 137a
Time: 3-4pm, with possible Q&A and discussion afterwards
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Zvi Galil, Dean of the College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He earned BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from Tel Aviv University. He then obtained a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University. After a post-doctorate in IBM's Thomas J. Watson research center, he joined the faculty of Tel-Aviv University. He served as the chair of the Computer Science department in 1979-1982.
In 1982 he joined the faculty of Columbia University. He served as the chair of the Computer Science Department in 1989-1994 and as dean of The Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science in 1995-2007. Galil was appointed Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Mathematical Methods and Computer Science in 1987, and Morris and Alma A. Schapiro Dean of Engineering in 1995. In 2007 Galil returned to Tel Aviv University and served as president. In 2009 he resigned as president and returned to the faculty as a professor of Computer Science. In July 2010 he became The John P. Imlay, Jr. Dean of Computing at Georgia Tech.
Dr. Galil's research areas have been the design and analysis of algorithms, complexity, cryptography and experimental design. In 1983-1987 he served as chairman of ACM SIGACT, the Special Interest Group of Algorithms and Computation Theory. He has written over 200 scientific papers, edited five books, and has given more than 150 lectures in 20 countries. Galil has served as editor in chief of two journals and as the chief computer science adviser in the United States to the Oxford University Press. He is a fellow of the ACM and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. In 2008 Columbia University established the Zvi Galil Award for Improvement in Engineering Student Life. In 2009 the Columbia Society of Graduates awarded him the Great Teacher Award. In 2012 the University of Waterloo awarded him an honorary doctorate in mathematics.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Oct 2015 | 3:00pm - 4:00pm |
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