Hebrew U. Goes Global – Thanks to Accredited Online Courses with eTeacher

For the first time, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem will award academic credits to students who study its courses via the Internet – enabling students from any country in the world to study a Hebrew University program.

The first session of students to recently complete an online Hebrew University course in Biblical Hebrew includes thirty students from Lebanon, Singapore, Peru, Argentina, Holland, Ireland, Denmark, France and Italy.

The lessons are conducted in small groups via the online study site of the company, eTeacher, which recently signed an agreement of cooperation with Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University. The courses have the same academic requirements as regular courses within the university, which include attendance requirements, submitting exercises and oral exams conducted via video.

The unique online course was the initiative of the dean of the faculty of humanities, Prof. Israel Bartal, who understands that there is a demand for Hebrew University's cultural assets. "Through the Internet, the university is opening its gates to teaching courses in the humanities which are a unique resource of knowledge throughout the world. The first pilot program is in Biblical and Modern Hebrew. These are fields of study in which the Hebrew University is certainly the best in the world and so it is possible to offer these courses to students in the global marketplace."

Vice President and Director General of the Hebrew University, Billy Shapira, adds, "The potential of the Hebrew University to spread the knowledge of its best researchers has great implications and ranks the university in the global arena in the field of teaching."

Cooperation between the Hebrew University and eTeacher will enable the university to add additional courses to the virtual system and to advance online teaching. According to the director of eTeacher in Israel, Yariv Ben-Nun, "We are happy and proud to provide our unique knowledge and experience to Hebrew University. I believe we will be able to do big things together."

For details of Biblical Hebrew studies on eTeacher: http://www.eteacherbiblical.com/default.asp