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  • Education sub-menuEducation
    • OSUN Courses
    • Certificate Programs
    • Mobility
    • Threatened Scholars
      Initiative
    • Teaching
      • Birkbeck Summer School
      • Center for Liberal Arts and Sciences Pedagogy (CLASP)
      • Developing Teaching Professionals
      • Global History Lab
      • Global Teaching Fellowship Program
      • GLOBALED
    • Curricula
      • CORUSUS
      • Economic Democracy Initiative
      • Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network
      • Global Studies
      • Hannah Arendt Humanities Network
      • Human Rights Program
      • Liberal Arts and Sciences Collaborative
      • Policy Labs
      • Professional Development Program for University Administrators
      • Public Health and Human Rights
      • Strengthening the Core
      • Transnational Feminism, Solidarity, and Social Justice
  • Research sub-menuResearch

    OSUN promotes collaboration across its partner institutions, including the codesign of research projects, to explore issues of global and local relevance through socially engaged research, interdisciplinary collaboration, or comparative research.

    • Research Projects
      • The Democracy Institute
      • Economic Democracy Initiative
      • Engaged Scholarship
      • GEOHUB
      • Global Institute of Advanced Study
      • Research Creation Initiative
      • Senior Projects
    • Fellowships
      • Chatham House Academy Fellowships
      • Global Scholars Academy
      • Modular Doctoral Program
    • Past Projects
      • Global Observatory on Academic Freedom
      • Open Society Research Platform
  • Access sub-menuAccess

    OSUN expands access to higher education by creating new pathways for underserved communities. Academic integration and connected learning bring educational opportunities to students beyond OSUN’s brick-and-mortar campuses.

    • Teacher Education
      • Enhanced Network Teacher Education Capacity
      • Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives
    • Education Pathways
      • Collaborative for Liberal Education for Adolescents
      • Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison
      • Hubs for Connected Learning Initiatives
      • Microcollege for Just Community Leadership
      • OLIve
      • Roma Equity in Higher Education
      • The Socrates Project
  • Civic sub-menuCivic Engagement

    With a belief in the public purpose of higher education, civic engagement across OSUN promotes best practices and bold new initiatives to help students, faculty, and institutions realize their full potential as community actors and educators.

    • Student Engagement
      • Get Engaged Conference
      • Global Commons
      • Global Debate Network
      • Global Engagement Fellows
      • Online Arts Workshop
      • Student-Led Initiatives
      • Student Life Initiatives Project (SLIP)
    • Engaged Learning
      • Certificate in Civic Engagement
      • Community Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences
      • Engaged Scholarship
      • Engaged Senior Projects
      • OSUN Science Shop
      • Solve Climate by 2030
  • News sub-menuNews + Opportunities

    OSUN offers myriad opportunities and events to undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and scholars, and faculty. News and features provide updates on project impacts and the people involved.

    • Newsroom
      • Current News
      • News Archive
    • Events
      • Current Events
      • Events Archive
    • Opportunities
      • For Students
      • For Faculty
      • Archive
  • Resources sub-menuResources

    OSUN faculty and institutions have worked collectively to assemble this dynamic collection of student-centered teaching methodologies and instructional strategies. Whether working online, in person, or in a blended context, establishing a clear and consistent communication plan with students is central to all of these practices.

    • OSUN Resources
      • Academic Technology Guides
      • Blended Learning Toolkit
    • Digital Collection
      • Digital Case Studies
      • Student-Produced Videos
  • About sub-menuAbout

    OSUN aims to educate students for tomorrow’s global challenges, fostering critical thinking and open intellectual inquiry to strengthen the foundations of open society amid the current authoritarian resurgence.

    • About OSUN
      • Our Vision
      • Who We Are
      • What We Do
      • Member Institutions
      • Themes
      • Annual Report
      • Branding
  • Search
Applications Open for OSUN Course Proposals for 2023-24
Faculty from across OSUN are invited to submit proposals for Network Collaborative Courses and OSUN Online Courses for Spring 2024 and Academic Year 2024-2025; OOC applications are also being accepted for Summer 2024. Read more
Professor teaching a class
Applications Open for Faculty Mobility Fellowships 
OSUN faculty can apply to teach courses at OSUN partner institutions and collaborate on course design research, with an emphasis on applicants from under-resourced OSUN institutions. Info sessions in September and October.

Deadline to apply is Friday, October 20

Apply for Faculty Mobility 
Apply to the Engaged Research Fund for 2023-24
OSUN and Talloires Network of Engaged Universities (TN) invite applications for funding and research support for graduate students and faculty at OSUN and TN partner institutions who are working to develop long-term, sustainable community partnerships as a central part of their research with a goal to develop shared knowledge about issues that align with OSUN priorities and themes.

Deadline: Friday, October 20

 
Learn more
Students in a library
Register for OSUN Fall 2023 Courses
Students can now register for Fall 2023 courses, including OSUN Online Courses and Network Collaborative Courses! 

Deadline for Online Courses: September 30

Register for Fall Online Courses
People in a classroom
Applications Open for Six OSUN Certificate Programs
Applications are now open for undergraduate students to apply for OSUN Academic Certificate programs in Civic Engagement, Global Educational Development, Public Policy and Economic Analysis, Human Rights, Social Enterprise and Leading Change, and Food Studies. 

Deadline: Saturday, September 30

Learn more and apply
The BPI Consortium for the Liberal Arts in Prison Puts College for Incarcerated People on the Global Agenda
The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), an OSUN partner since 2021, has helped to restore federal funding for education in US prisons, provided technical assistance and strategic guidance to partners across the globe, and grown a community of practice across six continents.

Read more
Call for Proposals: Southern Perspectives on Transformational Interventions and Leadership
OSUN and BRAC University are seeking proposals for new project research that will focus on Southern initiatives and leaderships that have sought or are seeking transformations in the lives of their communities.
Deadline: October 15, 2023


Read more
University World News Examines OSUN's Role in Resisting Threats to Academic Freedom Worldwide
University World News details three instances where OSUN has assisted partner institutions in the face of authoritarian attacks on their humanities and social sciences programs. Read more
Why Scholars Are Creating an "Alt New College"
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that former students and faculty from New College of Florida have formed Alt New College, a project supported by OSUN in response to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ aggressive attacks on the progressive institution. Read more
The “Shameless Hatred” Behind Attacks on Gender, Academia
Alt New College’s inaugural lecture about authoritarian assaults on gender studies, given by Judith Butler and Masha Gessen, was reported on by University World News. Read more
Smolny college
Liberal Arts Program at Smolny College in Russia Will End
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the liberal-studies program at Smolny College in Russia will be shuttered two years after its key international partner, OSUN co-founder Bard College, was barred from working in the country. Read more

OSUN Events

  • 9/29
    Friday

    To Be—Named Exhibition
    Opalka Gallery at Russell Sage College in Albany, New York
  • 10/03
    Tuesday

    OSUN Summit on Mobility & Immobility: Keynote Panel and Film Screening
    9:00 am – 10:30 am EDT/GMT-4 Online Event
  • 10/11
    Wednesday

    EDI 2023 Keynote Address by Mark Paul: Freedom Is Not Enough–The Case for Economic Rights in the US
    12:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT/GMT-4 Online Event
  • 10/12
    Thursday

    World Mental Health Day: Psychological First Aid Training 
    9:00 am – 10:30 am EDT/GMT-4 Online Event
View All Events

News + Announcements

OSUN Statement on Sentencing of Uyghur Academic Rahile Dawut to Life in Prison
OSUN condemns the Chinese government's decision to sentence renowned Uyghur scholar Rahile Dawut to life in prison. Dawut was named OSUN Honorary Professor of Humanities in 2020.
Read More

View All OSUN News

Opportunities

  • Call for Applications: Visiting Faculty for the American University of Afghanistan
    Deadline: October 20, 2023
  • Applications Open for OSUN Course Proposals for 2023-24
    Deadline: September 30, 2023
  • Applications Open for Spring Experiential Learning Institute 
    Deadline: November 15, 2023
  • Apply to the Engaged Research Fund for 2023-24
    Deadline: October 20, 2023
  • Register for Online Art Workshops Led by MFA Candidates
    Deadline: October 3, 2023
View All Opportunities

A New model of global higher education



Access

Access

OSUN expands access to higher education by creating new pathways for underserved communities. Academic integration and connected learning bring educational opportunities to students beyond OSUN’s brick-and-mortar campuses.
OSUN Courses

OSUN Courses

OSUN offers two kinds of courses to students within the network: Online Courses and Network Collaborative Courses. Click here to learn more about it. 
 
Academic Technology

Academic Technology

How-to-videos and PDF guides walk students through OSUN Academic Technology tools like Panopto, Perusall, Padlet, Zoom, and more.
Mobility

Mobility

Students, faculty, and administrators can travel throughout the network to grow and maintain in-person relationships.
Student-Produced Videos

Student-Produced Videos

Videos created by students enrolled in the Visual Storytelling for Civic Engagement course.
Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement

Ideas and actions of engagement are embedded into all aspects of higher education to prepare students to emerge from university as engaged citizens.
Certificate Programs

Certificate Programs

Academic certificate programs integrate curriculums, sequence coursework, and allow non-degree students, such as refugee and displaced learners, to obtain credits and a transferable micro-credential. 
Our Members

Our Members

A Global Partnership of educational institutions.

About OSUN

The Network

The Open Society University Network (OSUN) is a global partnership of educational institutions that integrates learning and the advancement of knowledge--in the social sciences, the humanities, the sciences and the arts, on undergraduate and graduate levels--across geographic and demographic boundaries, promotes civic engagement on behalf of open societies, and expands access to higher education for underserved communities.

Member Institutions
  • University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Center (United States)
  • Arizona State University (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: New Orleans (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Cleveland (United States)
  • Tuskegee University (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Hudson Valley (United States)
  • Bard Prison Initiative (United States)
  • Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (United States)
  • Picker Center for Executive Education, Columbia University (United States)
  • Institute for New Economic Thinking (United States and United Kingdom)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Manhattan (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Queens (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Newark (United States)
  • University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute (United States)
  • Bard College at Simon’s Rock: The Early College (United States)
  • Princeton Global History Lab (United States)
  • The Talloires Network of Engaged Universities (United States)
  • The Afghanistan Project at the Center for Governance and Markets, University of Pittsburgh (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Baltimore (United States)
  • Bard Early Colleges: Washington D.C. (United States)
  • Haitian Education and Leadership Program (Haiti)
  • University of the West Indies (Kingston, Jamaica)
  • Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
  • Birkbeck, University of London (United Kingdom)
  • London School of Economics (United Kingdom)
  • SOAS University of London (United Kingdom)
  • Black Mountains College (United Kingdom)
  • Chatham House (United Kingdom)
  • Institute for New Economic Thinking (United States and United Kingdom)
  • Sciences Po in Paris (France)
  • European University Institute (Florence)
  • Bocconi University (Italy)
  • Bard College Berlin (Germany)
  • Hertie School (Berlin)
  • Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva)
  • Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (Austria)
  • European Humanities University (Lithuania)
  • Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine)
  • Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade (Serbia)
  • American University in Bulgaria
  • National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Romania)
  • Ashesi University (Ghana)
  • University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
  • Rift Valley Institute (Kenya)
  • Al-Quds University / Al-Quds Bard College of Arts and Sciences (Palestine)
  • American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
  • American University of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)
  • American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
  • BRAC University (Bangladesh)
  • Parami University (Myanmar)
  • National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan)

Founding Institutions

Bard College
New York, U.S.
Central European University
Vienna, Austria

Members

  • Colleges and Universities
    Al-Quds University/Al-Quds Bard College of Arts and Sciences (Palestine)
    American University of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)
    American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
    American University in Bulgaria
    American University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)
    Arizona State University (United States)
    Ashesi University (Ghana)
    Bard College at Simon’s Rock: The Early College (United States)
    Bard College Berlin (Germany)
    Bard Early Colleges (United States)
    Birkbeck: University of London (United Kingdom)
    Bocconi University (Italy)
    BRAC University (Bangladesh)
    European Humanities University (Lithuania)
    European University Institute (Italy)
    Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Switzerland)
    Hertie School (Germany)
    Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine)
    London School of Economics (United Kingdom)
    National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan)
    National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Romania)
    Parami University (Myanmar)
    Sciences Po in Paris (France)
    SOAS University of London (United Kingdom)
    Tuskegee University (United States)
    Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
    University of the West Indies (Jamaica)
    University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
  • Research and Educational Institutions
    Bard Prison Initiative (United States)
    Black Mountains College (United Kingdom)
    Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (United States)
    Chatham House (United Kingdom)
    Haitian Education and Leadership Program (Haiti)
    Institute for New Economic Thinking (United States and United Kingdom)
    Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, University of Belgrade (Serbia)
    Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (Austria)
    Picker Center for Executive Education, Columbia University (United States)
    Princeton Global History Lab (United States)
    Rift Valley Institute (Kenya)
    The Afghanistan Project at the Center for Governance and Markets, University of Pittsburgh (United States)
    The Talloires Network of Engaged Universities (United States)
    University of California, Berkeley Human Rights Center (United States)
    University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute (United States)

Philanthropic Partner

Open Society Foundations

OSUN builds on the accomplishments of several major initiatives in higher education supported by the Open Society Foundations (OSF). In the 1990s, OSF’s Higher Education Support Program (HESP) effectively served as a Marshall Plan for higher education in Central and Eastern Europe. CEU, founded in 1991, became a unique model in graduate education, combining cutting-edge research and research-based teaching with a focused social mission.

Philanthropic Partner

For almost 30 years, OSF has supported innovative cooperation between CEU and Bard College, and between their respective national and international networks. During this period, OSF has contributed to the development of groundbreaking higher education institutions, first in Central and Eastern Europe, and then globally. OSF also supported a program of fellowships in higher education that has intellectually empowered tens of thousands of students and educators throughout the world.

The Open Society Foundations (OSF) is an international grant-making network that supports civil society groups around the world, with the aim of advancing justice, education, public health and independent media. Since its inception, in 1993, it has contributed:
  • $15.2 billion in total expenditures
  • 50,000+ grants to organizations, scholars, and activists in 120+ countries
Although originally focused in the 1990s on Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, South Africa, and Myanmar, OSF has since expanded its network to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and had a budget of $1.1 billion in 2019.

OSF’s Higher Education Support Program initiated a massive undertaking to reform research and teaching in the social sciences and humanities at universities across Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia in the 1990s. It has since expanded this program to over 50 colleges and universities around the world, with the aim of promoting academic freedom, university autonomy, equal and open access to knowledge and education, student-centered learning, service to the community, and transparent, inclusive governance. This program has yielded significant advances, including:
  • The creation of beachheads of intellectual freedom and critical enquiry at some of its core grantee institutions, such as the American University of Central Asia and American University in Bulgaria.
  • Improvements in the quality of the liberal arts curriculum and pedagogy at the American University of Central Asia, European Humanities University, Al-Quds Bard College, and St. Petersburg University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, in partnership with Bard.
  • The introduction of innovative models of access to higher education in the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in Kenya.
  • The establishment of independent external testing system for admissions at Ukrainian universities, which have combat the paying of bribes for student places.
As part of its efforts to expand access to higher education and empowered educators around the world, OSF has provided close to 20,000 scholarships and research grants since the 1980s - with awards in 42 countries, ranging from Haiti to Angola, Eritrea, Egypt, Afghanistan, and Cambodia.

OSF has also demonstrated its deep commitment to academic freedom through its early and long-standing support for scholars who are threatened or imprisoned because of their work. It was a founding contributor to the Scholar Rescue Fund and is a leading supporter of the Scholars at Risk network.

Open Society University Network
For more information contact: 
[email protected]