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When hedge fund billionaire Igor Tulchinsky came up with the idea for WorldQuant University, he had no idea more than a third of its student body would be African just nine years after opening its doors.
The distance learning college, which is recognized by the US-based Distance Education Accrediting Commission, focuses on data sciences, leveraging technology and emerging online learning tools, to disrupt education. But the catch was that he wanted to do this for free, and he seems to have achieved that so far.
Some 11,000 students from more than 150 countries have been enrolled since 2015.
WQU currently offers a two-year masters program in financial engineering and a 16-week intensive Applied Data Science Lab program to develop skills and knowledge very much in demand by finance hubs like Wall Street and the City of London.
“The demand for technical and quantitative skills is growing across the globe and shows no sign of abating,” says John Endrud, CEO of WorldQuant University. He says African business leaders see digital skill as a priority for continued investment, like anywhere else.
Endrud is keen to stress it isn’t easy to get into their programs and stay enrolled. “Because WQU is a free institution, we are often met with misconceptions about the rigor of the programs,” he says. “We ensure only qualified students with demonstrated proficiency are enrolled.”
To date, WQU’s average graduation rate for its Master’s program is 61%, says Endrud. That compares with a US average of 54% for advanced higher education programs.
