2U has expanded its partnership with Google Cloud, adding 12 new cloud and AI courses to edX.org. The courses are part of Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise Agent Ready programme and cover topics including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and generative AI. The new offerings bring 2U's collaboration with Google Cloud to more than 100 courses and professional certificate programmes on edX. Over 30 additional Google courses launched on the platform in the past month alone. The self-paced programmes combine hands-on learning with industry credentials, designed for both technical and non-technical learners. They're available to edX's global community of over 100 million learners and enterprise customers. The courses are accessible individually through edX.org and to organisations via edX's Enterprise Catalogue, allowing companies to integrate Google Cloud training into upskilling initiatives.

Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford and 2U launch new program in ai-driven Drug Discovery. New partnership brings the Nuffield Department of Medicine into 2U's growing portfolio of partnerships with schools and departments across the University of Oxford ARLINGTON, Va., and OXFORD, England, September 3, 2026 - 2U, a global leader in higher education, today announced a new partnership with the Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) at the University of Oxford to launch the Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme, a six-week online executive education program that equips scientists, researchers, and R&D professionals to apply artificial intelligence across the drug discovery pipeline while navigating the ethical and regulatory standards essential to modern biomedical research. The program marks the beginning of 2U's partnership with the Nuffield Department of Medicine and further expands its growing relationship with the University of Oxford. The partnership now spans more than 40 online executive education programs and open courses delivered on edX, bringing together leading Oxford schools - including Saïd Business School, the Faculty of Law, the Blavatnik School of Government, and now the Nuffield Department of Medicine - to deliver education in areas of rapidly growing global demand. A second executive education offering from NDM, the Oxford Nuffield Healthcare Management Programme, is expected to launch later this year, further extending the collaboration into life sciences and healthcare. "Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities to accelerate biomedical discovery, but realizing its full potential requires scientists who understand not only the technology, but also the scientific, ethical, and regulatory context in which it is applied," said Dr Abigail Rickard, Head of Academic Programmes, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. "This program combines our expertise in biomedical research with practical applications of AI, giving professionals the knowledge and tools to translate emerging technologies into meaningful advances in drug discovery and medicine." Developed by faculty with a track record in open-science research, from leading international drug discovery initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic to OpenBind, an open-science consortium building the world's largest public dataset linking protein structures to binding measurements, the program is designed for professionals who need to understand and apply AI in biomedical research. Participants explore how AI can support target identification, biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and therapeutic prediction while working with industry tools including MedChemica and Target Safety. No coding experience is required. Alongside technical applications, the curriculum examines the ethical, legal, and regulatory considerations surrounding AI in medicine, including algorithmic bias, model explainability, and responsible deployment. Participants complete practical assessments throughout the program, culminating in an AI implementation roadmap they can apply within their own organizations. "One of the advantages of a long-term partnership is the ability to grow alongside an institution as its priorities evolve," said Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer at 2U. "Over the past several years, our relationship with the University of Oxford has expanded across schools and disciplines in response to growing learner demand. Our collaboration with the Nuffield Department of Medicine is another example of that momentum, with additional programs already planned. Together, we're helping extend Oxford's expertise into fields where AI and advances in healthcare are rapidly reshaping professional practice, creating new opportunities for learners around the world to benefit from the University's leadership in research and innovation." The Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme reflects 2U's strategy of helping leading universities extend their reach through long-term partnerships that evolve alongside learner and workforce demand. As institutions look to expand successful digital education initiatives across schools and disciplines, 2U continues to help partners bring their expertise to new audiences and disciplines - from business and leadership to law, government, healthcare and medicine. 2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to build education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through more than 250 institutional and enterprise partnerships, 2U develops and delivers over 5,300 online programs, reaching more than 100 million people worldwide through edX, 2U's global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master's degree programs and free, open courses, 2U aligns education with workforce needs, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com. About the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford The Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) at the University of Oxford is one of the world's largest medical research departments and has been at the centre of major advances and world-firsts in medicine and global health. Bringing together researchers, clinicians and partners across the world, NDM works to understand disease, discover new treatments, vaccines and diagnostics, and translate scientific discoveries into improvements in health. Its research spans fundamental science to large-scale clinical studies and global health programmes, with major research partnerships and units in the UK, Africa and Asia. https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/ https://uk.linkedin.com/company/ndmoxford Media Contact [email protected] Latest. At 2U, 2U is on a mission - to make learning limitless. To learn more about who 2U is and what 2U do, follow the links below.

The next competitive advantage in online education. Vice President of Academic Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Adam Fein and Vice President of Business Development Andre Payne-Singleton represent 2U at UPCEA's 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLAR) Adam Fein, Vice President of Academic Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at 2U, reflects on how online education has become an integral part of institution-wide strategies and why alignment and partnership are increasingly important to its success. Online education has always required many parts of a university to work together: admissions, financial aid, academics, advising, career services, and technology, among others. What's new is how central it has become to an institution's long-term strategy. What was once treated as a specialized afterthought is now core to how universities reach learners, build their academic catalog, respond to workforce needs, and ultimately create new revenue streams. You can see that shift in the diversity of what institutions are bringing online. Degree programs are now one component of a broader portfolio that can include certificates, microcredentials, enterprise partnerships, and other forms of learning. As online learning takes on a bigger role, the success of an institution's portfolio depends on more than the strength of any individual program. It requires a perspective shift, in which online strategy becomes inseparable from institutional strategy. Universities able to align around this shift will increasingly develop a competitive advantage. I heard this firsthand at UPCEA's 2026 Summit for Online Leadership and Administration (SOLAR), where I moderated a panel aptly titled "No Lone Wolves: Why Online Programs Thrive on Campus-Wide Alliances." With about 50 institutions represented in the room, the questions varied, but they pointed to a common need: leaders who bring people together around shared goals, build strong relationships across the institution, and know when to bring in expertise from beyond campus. Start with alignment inside the institution Let's start with the learner experience. The teams responsible for each part of that experience may sit in different corners of the university, but learners don't experience them that way. They experience one institution. That means online leaders need to intentionally cultivate collaboration: shared ownership of the strategy, goals, and a clear understanding of how everyone contributes to them. What are learners looking for? Where is the workforce headed? What does the institution do particularly well? Bringing those perspectives together helps connect decisions about programs, enrollment, and student support that might otherwise happen independently. Getting there may require some "spicy" conversations, especially when the team you need at the table is already stretched thin. My view is that you can and should push for change. However you'll have far more success when you build trust and bring colleagues alongside that change, rather than bulldozing through existing structures. But trust alone isn't enough. Sunay Palsole of Texas A&M made a point during its panel that takes that idea one step further: while trust gets the people you need to the table, lasting partnerships need structure. Define responsibilities, deliverables, and service levels so everyone knows what they own and what success looks like. That's how alignment becomes part of the way an institution operates rather than something dependent on individual relationships. The "No Lone Wolves: Why Online Programs Thrive on Campus-Wide Alliances" panelists from left to right: Adam Fein, 2U; Sunay Palsole, Texas A&M University; Melissa Vito, The University of Texas at San Antonio; Beth Brunk, University of Texas at El Paso Extend partnership beyond campus The same principle applies outside the institution. Universities are making different choices about what they build and manage themselves and where they seek external support. There isn't one model that works for everyone. Knowing what your institution does well, where another perspective could help, and what problem a partner could help solve are all key factors to weigh when evaluating external options. The right external partner can bring insight into learner demand and workforce trends, lessons learned across institutions, and experience translating those signals into action. Trust matters outside the institution, too. From the partner side, that means listening first, understanding the institution and the problem it's trying to solve, and earning the opportunity to become a trusted thought partner. The goal here isn't to outsource institutional strategy, but to make that strategy stronger and easier to execute. Lead differently as the strategy evolves Online education is no longer peripheral to how many universities think about their learners - especially adult learners - programs, and future. That's progress, but it also means 2U can't lead it as though it still operates independently from the rest of the institution. That, to me, is the bigger meaning behind "No Lone Wolves." Build trusted relationships across operating units. Give them structure. Bring the right people and perspectives to the table. Keep everyone working toward the same institutional goals. Get this right, and the opportunity is bigger than online growth. It's a university that can make better decisions, adapt faster, and serve learners more effectively. In this time of significant change in higher education, the ability to work together nimbly - inside and beyond campus - to meet the moment, is the competitive advantage. Latest. At 2U, 2U is on a mission - to make learning limitless. To learn more about who 2U is and what 2U do, follow the links below.