“`html
Explore Coursera’s 2025 Partner Award recipients, recognizing prominent universities and enterprises driving innovation and excellence in online education globally.
Transformative education flourishes through cooperation. Our partner network of over 350 premier universities and enterprises develops world-class educational materials reaching millions of students in over 190 nations.
During our 13th annual Coursera Conference in Las Vegas on September 9th, 2025, we acknowledged six partners showcasing remarkable success, creativity, and dedication to learner achievement.
These Partner Awards honor institutions that have utilized the Coursera platform to craft innovative, high-impact learning experiences. By pioneering new educational frameworks and integrating advanced AI technologies, our 2025 victors embody the possibilities when educational aspirations meet technological advancements.
Let’s introduce the partners who are influencing the future of online education.
Rising Star Award
This accolade celebrates a new collaborator who has swiftly exhibited remarkable innovation and impact in their partnership with Coursera.
Winner: Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University has quickly made a notable impact with their MSc in Computer Science, which debuted this year featuring a groundbreaking approach to accessible higher education. Their program merges flexible, economical design with performance-oriented admissions, while linking degree programs to complimentary access to over 500 industry certificates. This pioneering model serves as a robust example of inclusive, career-focused higher education that meets learners where they are and prepares them for their future endeavors.
AI Innovation Award
This award recognizes a partner that has deployed AI tools to forge more personalized and innovative learning programs.
Winner: Fractal
Fractal is reimagining the possibilities in online education through audacious, forward-thinking innovation. As the inaugural Coursera partner to leverage AI-driven content creation and digital cloning technology, they have established a new standard for high-quality, tailored learning at scale. With multilingual dubbing functionalities and skills-oriented learning pathways, Fractal is paving the way for a more accessible, globally interconnected educational future that adapts to various learner preferences and needs.
Engagement Excellence Award
This award honors an institution that has developed creative and effective engagement strategies, leading to notable increases in participation and completion rates.
Winner: Adobe
Adobe exemplifies what can be achieved when a partner invests profoundly in the complete learner journey. From discovery to progression, Adobe employs a daring, data-informed strategy that genuinely places learners at the forefront of every process. Their extensive reach, inventive content design, and emphasis on meaningful results have cultivated seamless, impactful learning pathways that significantly engage learners and facilitate sustained participation across varied audiences.
Trailblazer Award
This award celebrates a partner that has consistently pioneered novel methods in online education and continues to challenge the frontiers of what’s achievable.
Winner: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois
Gies College of Business has been a pioneer from the outset, launching the inaugural degree program on Coursera and fundamentally rethinking higher education delivery. That innovative spirit remains robust today, illustrated through their swift adoption of AI tools and perpetually evolving content and learning experiences. Gies consistently demonstrates their strong commitment to equitable, high-quality education while retaining their leadership in educational innovation.
Vision and Values Award
This accolade recognizes a partner that embodies our collective values while advancing the future of education.
Winner: Duke University
Duke University embodies innovation with intent, principle, and purpose. As an actively engaged member of Coursera’s Innovation Team, they have played an instrumental role in shaping our most promising new features and capabilities. Through strategic management of their Coursera offerings, thoughtful content optimization, and data-driven, learner-first experimentation, Duke ensures that the future of online education will be equitable and transformative for students everywhere.
Maximizing Impact Award
This accolade celebrates institutions that have realized significant outcomes for their learners, organization, or community, including enhanced employability, improved learner capabilities, and significant social impact.
Winner: Universidad de los Andes
Universidad de los Andes has been a powerhouse since joining the Coursera community in 2015. With five degree programs and almost 100 open courses available on Coursera, they have reached learners at an unparalleled scale while embracing every major platform innovation. From introducing new admissions and credit strategies to early adoption of AI tools, Universidad de los Andes exemplifies relentless dedication to experimentation and excellence in online education delivery.
These six partners exemplify the pinnacle of what collaborative innovation can achieve within education. They have revolutionized our perception of accessibility, engagement, and impact in online learning, all while maintaining an unwavering dedication to learner success.
To our partner community of over 350 leading universities and enterprises: your commitment to developing world-class educational content continues to broaden opportunities for millions of learners globally. Together, we are constructing an ecosystem where quality education transcends geographical boundaries, and where innovation serves the essential objective of transforming lives through learning.
Thank you for your collaboration, vision, and commitment to educational excellence. Here’s to ongoing partnership in unlocking human potential through the agency of learning.
Join a network of over 350 leading universities and enterprises that are transforming education worldwide. Discover more
The article Announcing Coursera’s 2025 Partner Awards for Outstanding Achievement first appeared on Coursera Blog.
“`