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Two esteemed American colleges, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, collaborated to launch EdX in 2012. The goal of making top-notch education available to a worldwide audience and the growing popularity of online learning gave rise to the concept of EdX.

The initiative was formally announced on May 2, 2012. This nonprofit platform was created with $30 million from MIT and Harvard. The main objective was to offer free online courses at the university level to students all around the world. This program was revolutionary because it gave those who otherwise would not have had the chance to get such an education access to educational materials from prestigious universities.

The platform’s inaugural president was Anant Agarwal, an electrical engineering and computer science professor at MIT who guided its rapid development. When “Circuits and Electronics,” the inaugural course, was introduced in August 2012, more than 155,000 students from 162 countries enrolled.

Leading academic institutions joined the initiative in 2013, including Georgetown University, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of California, Berkeley. As a result of the partnership network’s expansion, the quantity and variety of courses offered grew.

The platform published Open edX, an open-source software that included its source code in the same year. This choice allowed other businesses and academic institutions to design their online programs and courses using the platform. The platform’s openness contributed to its quick adoption and spread across numerous educational contexts worldwide.

The organization introduced its initial professional certification programs in 2014. These programs, created in partnership with top businesses, were designed to help participants acquire particular professional abilities employers seek.

The MicroMasters program, launched in 2015, consists of several master’ s-level courses that can be applied toward a complete master’s degree program at participating universities. This breakthrough made it possible to pursue a recognized academic degree while still having the flexibility of online learning, opening up new avenues for higher education.

The platform undertook a worldwide expansion in 2016. The organization started aggressively working with institutions and groups outside of the US, which resulted in a notable rise in the number of courses offered in numerous languages and subject areas.

The MicroBachelors program, which offers several undergraduate-level courses, was introduced in 2017. Its goal is to give non-traditional students and working adults an inexpensive route to higher education.

The brand for Business, a corporate solution that enables businesses to access courses for staff training and development, was introduced in 2018. This increased the platform’s sway over professional development and corporate learning.

The organization maintained its international expansion in 2019 by collaborating with institutions and groups in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. As a result, the platform was able to reach new audiences and provide even more diverse content.

2020 saw the initiative experience tremendous growth, mostly due to the global educational movement toward online learning. In response to the rising demand, the platform swiftly expanded its features and provided new technologies to facilitate remote learning.

A major development in the platform’s history happened in 2021 when the business was purchased for $800 million by 2U, Inc., a well-known supplier of educational technology. With this transaction, the organization officially changed from nonprofit to for-profit while still adhering to its core values of offering high-quality, easily accessible education.

The enterprise started actively merging its resources and technologies with 2U’s current products in 2022, under the direction of 2U. As a result, the portfolio of educational courses and programs grew.

The platform introduced several fresh programs that year to improve educational accessibility. With the launch of the “Access” initiative, students from low-income families can now receive financial assistance to complete certification courses and earn micro degrees.

The platform had major technological improvements in 2023. Artificial intelligence-based techniques have been introduced to enhance student engagement with instructional materials and tailor learning.

By establishing alliances with eminent South Asian and African colleges, the organization increased its worldwide footprint in 2023. Because of this, the platform was able to provide a wider range of material that catered to local requirements and tastes.

In corporate learning, the platform improved its Business offering by creating several corporate training courses. The main objectives of these programs were to develop digital technology skills, sustainability, and leadership.

Additionally, the brand kept refining its micro-degree offerings, increasing the number of MicroMasters and MicroBachelors degrees available. Particular focus was placed on developing curricula in quickly expanding technology domains, including data science, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.