FAQ About Us - NextGenU.org

faq

About Us

What is NextGenU.org?

NextGenU.org is a portal for the world to access content created by the Ulrich and Ruth Frank Foundation for International Health (URFFIH). NextGenU.org offers free courses with certificates, and curricula across the health sciences, making these materials available for free to learners, teachers, and institutions. Our training materials are focused primarily in the health sciences and STEM using expert-created competencies and resources.

Is NextGenU.org really completely free?

Yes — we are a cost-free, barrier-free, advertisement-free, educational organization available to everyone around the world.

Are you the world's first free university?

We are not a university. We do not grant credit or degrees; our university partners and other partners already accredited by their governments and professional societies adopt NextGenU.org courses, and give academic credit for our courses to their enrolled students (for free or for a minimal charge, depending on the university partner). Although many universities use our courses, individual learners also have free and open access to these same courses.

Who started NextGenU.org?

NextGenU.org’s founder, Dr. Erica Frank, began this work by building NextGenU.org’s health sciences online library (www.hso.info) in 2001, to determine whether there was enough depth of resources to create a major health professional training program. Dr. Frank is a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health; you can learn more about her here.

Why start with medical and public health courses?

The World Health Organization states that the world needs over 14.5 million additional health providers and that serious global resource constraints combined with remarkable open courseware opportunities creates a perfect opportunity to leverage computer-assisted technology to train them. Medical and public health schools globally typically allow students to receive credit for educational experiences offered away from their home institution, making such “away rotations/electives” a familiar and credible model for this very important use of NextGenU’s courses. Third, NextGenU.org’s core team is composed of experienced physicians, nurses, public health experts, and health sciences educators.

Who are NextGenU.org's founding collaborators and funders?

Africa Mental Health Foundation

Fundacion Santa Fe Bogota

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

American Association of Public Health Physicians

Health Care Without Harm

Universidad de los Andes

American College of Preventive Medicine

ILLAHIE Foundation

Universidad San Francisco de Quito

American College of Sports Medicine

International Federation of Medical Student Associations

University of the West Indies

American Medical Student Association

International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

University of Zambia

International Primary Care Respiratory Group

World Bank

Association for Prevention Teaching and Research

International Society of Doctors for the Environment

World Medical Association

Canada Research Chairs Program

Latin American Pediatric Association

World Health Organization

Global Affairs Canada

Medical Women’s International Association

Our NextGenU.org staff, and the 1000s of professionals globally who developed and shared resources

College of Surgeons of East/Central/Southern Africa

Physicians for Social Responsibility

Sociometrics

David Suzuki Foundation

Presbyterian University of East Africa

Emory University Center for Injury Control

Public Health Foundation of India

Frank Foundation for International Health

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Who uses NextGenU.org?

Students, professionals, universities, Health Ministries, and other training institutions and learning communities in every country.

How do you know if NextGenU.org works?

If you click here, you can see publications on our efficacy. We have rigorously tested this free learning model in North American medical, public health, and undergraduate students arenas and with community health workers and primary care physicians in Kenya and in India and have published our results in peer-reviewed journals and other sources. Our research consistently shows as much knowledge gain and greater student satisfaction using the NextGenU.org model than with traditional courses, with the addition of creating a community of practice that interacts globally and productively.

Who can I contact if I need technical assistance?

Our technical support team is small, and you will need to access local support for any personal needs, for example, help finding a community partner or someone to supervise your community project. However, please let us know if there are site-related issues by clicking here.

Where is NextGenU.org based?

Our offices are on desktops and laptops of contributors living and working on every continent! NextGenU.org is an activity of the Ulrich and Ruth Frank Foundation for International Health, incorporated as a non-profit foundation (a 501c3 organization) in the United States and headquartered in Minnesota.

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