Beginning March 19, the American Center will host a free course on entrepreneurship with online lectures from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm) and edX (https://www.edx.org/) and in-person discussions with American and local experts on business and entrepreneurship. In order to participate, applicants need to simply sign up to audit the course at (https://www.edx.org/course/mitx/mitx-15-390x-entrepreneurship-101-who-1312) and then come to the first in-person session at the American Center on March 19 at 3:30 P.M.
Commenting on this initiative, U.S. Consul General Helen LaFave says, “This is a wonderful learning opportunity for young men and women to fulfill their aspirations. They can take advantage of these courses and apply the skills and knowledge to succeed in life.” Echoing Secretary of State John Kerry, she adds, “No matter where they’re from, the young people that I meet with share the same basic aspirations. They want an education. They want opportunity.”
The course being offered at the American Center will be “Entrepreneurship 101: Know Your Customer”, a six-week course with content provided by MIT and hosted online through edX. The course will feature in-person discussions with local entrepreneurs, Consulate officials and video conferences with successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. There is no charge to participate in the program and attendees will benefit not only from relevant and practical course curriculum, but also from exposure to American styles of education and the many opportunities to network with experts in the field.
All participants will receive free American Library memberships, and those attending at least five sessions will receive certificates of completion from the American Center.
The American Center’s program is part of a worldwide Department of State initiative to highlight freely-available massive online open courses (MOOCs) from some of the United States’ best universities and supplement them with in-person discussion by expert facilitators. MOOCs are being offered at American embassies and consulates around the world and this is the program’s inaugural session in Kolkata.
