By Arunav Sinha, Head of Global Communications at Coursera

September 24, 2019 – University educators are widely trusted as independent experts who inform conversations both in and out of the classroom. In a world that is increasingly polarized by extreme views and misinformation, academic experts bring a sense of balance and rigor that elevates the quality of news, trends, and debates. They are a go-to source for reporters around the world. 

At Coursera, we have access to instructors from 170+ of the world’s top universities such as Yale, Columbia, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan. Reporters from around the world frequently ask us to connect them to the world-renowned experts who teach courses on our platform. This inspired us to create a solution that provides our media colleagues an easy way to plug into this network of thought leaders. 

Today, we’re excited to announce the Coursera | Expert Network, a free resource for reporters to quickly and easily access a diverse set of experts from top universities. These experts can speak to a range of topics, from timely political issues, technology trends, social debates, financial news, and current health issues to evergreen topics, like happiness and personal development.

Additionally, the Expert Network highlights those who can speak to the week’s trending news stories and showcases their perspectives on topical issues in short audio and video clips. 

To give you a snapshot, here are the types of topics some experts speak to:

• Politics: Bettina Aptheker, a feminist studies professor at UC Santa Cruz, speaks to how current legislation impacts women’s reproductive rights.
• Business: Don Tapscott, an expert on how technology impacts business, specifies how blockchain can solve real-world business problems.
• Tech: Jonathan Kelly from the University of Toronto analyzes new data that showed we’re 10+ years away from purchasing self-driving cars.
• Science: Chris Impey from the University of Arizona shares whether the recent discovery of a nearby Super-Earth means we’re closer to living in space.
• Health and Wellness: Yale’s Laurie Santos details if millennials can be happy despite a new study finding 20+ percent have no friends.
• Education: Barb Oakley from Oakland University shares must-know tips on how to stop forgetting what you learn.

If reporters want to learn more, they can easily connect with experts by clicking the contact button. 

For journalists looking for authoritative sources, the Expert Network is a seamless tool to find thought leaders quickly, hear their take on trending topics in the news, and request an interview—all in one place.

At Coursera, we strive to be a platform that provides anyone, anywhere equal access to life-transforming knowledge and learning. The Expert Network fits perfectly in that mission, connecting experts with reporters who seek to inform the world with deeply-researched articles and rich perspectives.

Ready to discover an expert source for your upcoming story? Visit experts.coursera.org today.

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