Catalogue

Overview

opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org

In 2020, Bard College and Central European University (CEU) launched the Open Society University Network (OSUN), an international network of colleges, universities, and research and educational institutions committed to addressing global challenges collaboratively. OSUN aims to expand access to higher education in underserved communities, increase cross-border research collaboration and joint-degree programs, and promote civic engagement on behalf of open societies. Participating institutions include Bard’s established educational partners—Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences (East Jerusalem), American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), Bard College Berlin (Germany), Bard Early Colleges, the Bard Prison Initiative, and Bard College at Simon’s Rock, as well as institutions in Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Myanmar, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

The OSUN model of global higher education features 1) integrated curricula with virtual network courses that enable students to learn together regardless of distance; 2) blended learning (virtual and in-person) that provides educational access to underserved and remote communities; 3) intranetwork student mobility; 4) collaborative exploration of global issues such as inequality and climate change; 5) civic engagement in teaching, research, and cocurricular activities; and 6) student-focused teaching methods that focus on active learning and critical thinking.