The Technion and Tel Aviv University have joined "Coursera" - will soon offer free online courses on the network

"We are excited about joining the Coursera initiative, which will not only give us opportunities to contribute to society, but will also improve the teaching within the campus," said Professor Danny Levin, senior assistant professor for the advancement of teaching at the Technion. * Professor Raanan Rein, Vice President of Tel Aviv University, welcomed the agreement with Coursera and said: "This initiative reflects Tel Aviv University's commitment to innovation in teaching and increasing global exposure."

The Technion and Tel Aviv University have become members of Coursera's educational partner network, and will soon offer free online courses to anyone interested, anywhere in the world. These two universities will join eighty other universities and educational institutions, including the Hebrew University which is already a member of the partnership, to promote teaching without borders through the Coursera platform.

The Technion and Tel Aviv University will open four courses, in the following fields: engineering, archaeology, biology and cultural studies.

The Technion's first course will be offered in English and Arabic: nanotechnology and nanosensors. The lecturer is Professor Hussam Haik from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering.

Tel Aviv University's initial offer will include courses in English, including:

• The rise and fall of Jerusalem - Judea under the Byzantine regime. Lecturer: Professor Oded Lifshitz, Institute of Archeology in the Department of Archeology and Middle Eastern Studies.
• What does the plant know (and other things you didn't know about plants). Lecturer: Professor Daniel Chamovich, director of the Mana Center for Plant Sciences in the Department of Molecular Biology and Plant Ecology.
• The rise of the modern Middle East. Lecturer: Professor Asher Seser, senior research fellow at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.

"We are excited about joining the Coursera initiative, which will not only give us opportunities to contribute to society, but will also improve the teaching within the campus," said Professor Danny Levin, senior assistant professor for the advancement of teaching at the Technion.

Professor Raanan Rein, Vice President of Tel Aviv University, welcomed the agreement with Coursera and said: "This initiative reflects Tel Aviv University's commitment to innovation in teaching and increasing global exposure."

"It is an honor for me to work with two of the best universities in my homeland, and to provide students with access to an excellent education, free of charge," said Dafna Kohler, one of the founders of Coursera. "Tel Aviv University and the Technion will now be able to reach students in Israel and around the world, and spread their knowledge and expertise to thousands more people."