On Sunday, December 18, Shindig hosted the second international gathering for University of the People, a tuition-free online university. With more than 400 students, educators, and administrators from 90 different countries coming together on the Shindig platform, President Shai Reshef spoke about the University’s journey and future goals and plans for 2017.

Over the course of an hour, the UoPeople community had a unique opportunity to directly interact with leadership, meet peers across the world and experience a collegiate community unlike any other. Students, volunteers and faculty alike took the stage to talk with President Reshef, while others became acquainted with online classmates and colleagues in private chats during the event. There were over 75 audience-generated questions submitted to discuss the University’s vision and agenda. These interactive sessions are essential to strengthening online learning communities, supplementing the social component that is often lacking in distance education.