From Education Revolution to Massive Success
An inspirational conversation with Dr. Zvi Galil about Georgia Tech's online Master in Computer Science, now teaching 100x the students, at a tenth of the cost
29 March 2021
16:00 CET (Amsterdam time) 10:00 EST (Washington DC time)
About the webinar
In March 2020, universities around the world were suddenly forced to move some or all of their teaching online. Georgia Tech had begun this process six years prior. In January 2014, they shocked the education sector by offering a fully-online version of their master’s in Computer Science (OMSCS), for a tenth of the tuition fee. Their motto: “Accessibility through affordability and technology.”
OMSCS’ growth has been phenomenal. By this spring, the programme enrolled 11,300 students — and it is still growing every semester. It is apparently the largest master’s programme in the world in any subject online or on-campus. Their success has inspired similar MOOC-based programmes at other universities. The programme in itself contributes to a nationwide 10% growth of Computer Science graduates – one of the biggest skill shortages in the labor market.
The conversation will cover the story of OMSCS: how Dean Galil started it, the controversy, change management, reinventing the teaching and service model, artificial teaching assistants, what has been learned, and the role the programme and its successors have played before and during the pandemic. And perhaps most interesting: how the learners of the online vs the on campus programs are different and have different needs.
Dr. Zvi Galil will also share his view on the role that online programmes can play in the future of higher education.
Registration deadline: 28th of March 2021
Speakers
Dr. Zvi Galil
Former John P. Imlay, Jr. Dean of Computing, Storey Chair, and Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Zvi was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel. He earned BS and MS degrees in Applied Mathematics from Tel Aviv University, both summa cum laude. He then obtained a PhD in Computer Science from Cornell University. After a post-doctorate in IBM's Thomas J. Watson research center, he returned to Israel and 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. In June 2019 he stepped down as dean and became the Frederick G. Storey Chair in Computing and Executive Advisor to Online Programs.
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 5 books, and has given more than 250 lectures in 30 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 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. In 2021 the advisory board of Georgia Tech’s College of Computing raised the funds to endow the Zvi Galil PEACE chair; PEACE stands for Pervasive Equitable Access for Computing Education. In 2021 Academic Influence included Dr. Galil on its list of the top influential computer scientists today. For more information check https://www.cc.gatech.edu/news/645407/former-dean-recognized-impact-computer-science.
Zvi Galil is married to Dr. Bella S. Galil, a marine biologist. They have one son, Yair, a corporate lawyer in New York.
Edwin is the CEO and Co-Founder of Studyportals. He is continuously looking to optimise our long-term world impact. Apart from his overall management tasks, he seeks strategic partnerships and focuses on further developing our products and services together with students and universities.
Edwin was educated in Industrial Engineering and Management Science where he specialised in knowledge-intensive processes and innovation management. He gained project management and analytic experience as a strategy consultant for a multitude of large corporations. As part of his Master´s degree he spent one year at Osaka University in Japan and he worked in the IT services team for the Olympic Games both in Athens and Turin. Edwin is a strong believer of international and intercultural experiences for the benefit of Personal and Professional development as well as society at large- through Studyportals he wants to stimulate and help others to broaden their horizon.
He is the chair of the Marketing & Recruitment Expert Community of the EAIE (European Association for International Education) and a frequent speaker at international Education conferences. In September 2013 Edwin was honoured with the EAIE Rising Star Award for – despite his young career – making a notable contribution to international education.
Carmen is the Senior Marketing Analytics Consultant at Studyportals. She is an experienced researcher in higher education and services marketing. Carmen has a PhD degree in services marketing, with a specific focus on value co-creation and service interactions, as well as a Master’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration from Radboud University. Her work has been published in scientific journals such as Marketing Theory and the Journal of Services Management.
She has co-authored a variety of research articles and whitepapers, more recently focusing on international education, student mobility patterns, online study choice behaviour, international student satisfaction and two reports on the growth of the pathway sector. In her previous roles as Head of Intelligence and Thought Leadership Manager she has published several reports based on Studyportals data in collaboration with EAIE, British Council, and Cambridge English. Her work has also been publicized in the media, and she has offered interviews for Times Higher Education, University World News, the BBC and Washington Post.