[2025 Year in Review] Learning without borders: ASU’s global reach expands to 157 countries
ASU’s model for accessible, culturally relevant education is shaping the workforce of tomorrow and empowering communities around the world
This article is part of our 2025 Year-in-Review series, a retrospective on the inspiring stories of Arizona State University’s Learning Enterprise, focused on advancing learning across all stages of life.
Arizona State University is meeting learners wherever they are in the world. From Tempe to Addis Ababa, students of all backgrounds can access ASU’s high-quality learning opportunities in a format tailored to their specific goals — and designed with cultural relevancy in mind.
In 2025, learners in 157 countries enrolled in ASU programs designed to cross languages, cultures and economies.
Through initiatives like ASU en Español and partnerships with the International Baccalaureate and Council on Foreign Relations, ASU is shaping a model for accessible education at global scale.
With the World Economic Forum projecting that nearly 25% of jobs will undergo significant changes in the next five years, the need for a workforce with future-ready skills is urgent.
Yet many regions lack the infrastructure and resources needed to help local workers keep pace with these changes.
Through partnerships in over 157 countries and its growing portfolio of Universal Learner and Career Catalyst courses, ASU is leading the way in providing innovative models to address these challenges.
By focusing on three key pillars — affordability, cultural relevance and language — ASU is preparing professional learners to navigate this new era of technological advancements and global interconnectedness.
Shaping the future workforce
- Accessibility: Education must be financially viable for everyone. ASU’s Universal Learner Courses allow learners to pay only after successfully completing a course, removing financial risk and making higher education attainable for underserved populations. Programs like Earned Admission provide pathways to degrees without requiring learners to commit to full-time enrollment upfront. ASU operationalizes its mission of accessibility through Universal Learner Courses and affordable certificate pathways that reduce risk and open on-ramps to further credentials.
- Cultural relevance: Education works best when it reflects local realities. ASU collaborates with partners around the world to ensure its programs address the specific needs of each community. This approach equips learners with skills that are both practical and immediately applicable.
- Language: By offering programs in multiple languages, ASU bridges linguistic barriers that often exclude learners. With many of ASU’s career and professional learning offerings now translated into Spanish, the university is ensuring Spanish-speaking learners can access cutting-edge courses in fields like artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Tackling today’s global challenges
As the world becomes more interconnected, issues including public health, supply chains and cybersecurity are transcending national borders.
To meet the growing need for high-quality education in global policy, ASU and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) have collaborated to launch “Introduction to Global Affairs,” an online, for-credit course that invites learners of any background to explore today’s most pressing global challenges.
The course was developed in close collaboration with faculty, including Laine Munir from ASU’s School of Politics and Global Studies within The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Leadership from ASU faculty ensures the academic rigor and relevance of the course in today’s complex international landscape.
Global pathways to college credit
For high school students seeking college credit, factors like cost, geography and inflexible admissions processes can restrict access. Arizona State University is changing that through a partnership with the International Baccalaureate (IB) that embeds college-level coursework into IB classrooms across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central America.
Through Accelerate ASU, one of the nation’s largest university dual enrollment programs, students can complete ASU Universal Learner Courses for widely transferable U.S. college credit without traditional barriers like GPA requirements. The collaboration allows students in IB’s Career-related Program to explore in-demand fields such as business, sustainability, health and data analytics.
The program has expanded rapidly since its launch in 2023. Schools like the International Community School of Addis Ababa, Creation Village World School and IGB International School are tailoring ASU course offerings to their unique needs. Students benefit from flexible, affordable online courses taught by ASU faculty, paired with in-school support from IB educators.
“ASU’s outstanding reputation, flexibility and breadth of academic offerings provide our students with meaningful pathways, such as the custom academic track, to begin university-level work in a supportive and low-risk environment,” said Dr. Gregory Brunton, head of school at IGB International School in Malaysia.
To Scott Weatherford, Executive Director of Universal Pathways at Learning Enterprise, this partnership reflects ASU’s commitment to broaden access to high-quality education.
“Through our collaboration with IB, we’re able to extend ASU’s offerings to learners across the world” he says. “This partnership is an example of how ASU can be a catalyst for opportunity for students of all backgrounds.”
Advancing professional learning for Spanish speakers
Despite being the world’s second most spoken native language, Spanish remains underrepresented in high-quality, career-aligned education.
ASU is stepping up to meet demand through ASU en Español, a growing portfolio of Spanish-language learning programs designed for global learners seeking to advance their careers in fields of work where bilingual capabilities are of greater value.
Program offerings include courses and certificates in key fields, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, immersive technology and data and analytics
These offerings are co-developed with ASU schools and colleges, including Thunderbird School of Global Management, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Global Futures, New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, ASU’s Next Lab at Enterprise Technology and EdPlus, alongside international partners to reflect the goals and realities of growing Spanish-speaking communities.
“We’re not simply offering courses in Spanish,” says Marco Serrato, vice president of ASU’s Learning Enterprise. “We’re co-creating a portfolio that reflects the goals of our learners, equipping them to lead in economies increasingly shaped by innovation and digital transformation.”
These programs represent a shift from simple translation to strategic localization, ensuring that content reflects the professional, linguistic and cultural nuances of diverse Spanish-speaking communities.
An eye towards the future
Looking ahead, ASU is expanding its global workforce offerings in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, sustainability and health systems. Building on established partnerships and a growing global learning portfolio, ASU will continue to provide flexible, culturally relevant and career-aligned education in underserved regions. These efforts advance ASU’s commitment to broaden access, strengthen communities, and prepare learners for the future.