Oxford Law Faculty and 2U Join Forces to Enhance Online Executive Education

A New Educational Era: Oxford Law and 2U's Strategic Partnership

In an exciting development for aspiring legal professionals, the University of Oxford's Faculty of Law has formed a partnership with 2U, a leader in online education, to broaden access to executive education programs. This significant initiative will soon roll out its first program— the Oxford Legal and Governance Foundations for Board Directors Programme— on the edX platform, with a target launch in early 2026.

The collaboration marks a milestone in the evolution of legal education, as it provides professionals worldwide with an opportunity to engage in high-quality, research-led learning from the prestigious Oxford Law Faculty. The driving force of this course will be Professor John Armour, the Dean of the Faculty of Law, who will act as the academic convenor. This program is specifically tailored for senior professionals aiming for positions on corporate boards, equipping them with crucial governance and legal expertise needed in today's complex business landscape.

Professor Armour emphasized the need for the Faculty of Law to disseminate their esteemed legal research and expertise beyond the confines of the university. He noted, “Our partnership with 2U allows us to fulfill that mission by making our professional development programs accessible to legal and business leaders around the world who are navigating increasingly complex governance challenges.”

The Faculty of Law introduced its Professional Development Programme in May 2024, designed to help legal professionals enhance their knowledge through cutting-edge research and teaching. According to Michael Leavey, the Director of Professional Development, moving to an online format through 2U allows them to reach a broader audience, thereby enhancing the learning experience for practitioners who benefit from Oxford's quintessential blend of academic rigor and real-world application.

This partnership is not merely a one-off initiative; it signifies a significant expansion of 2U's collaboration with the University of Oxford, which has already been successful through partnerships with institutions like the Blavatnik School of Government and the Saïd Business School. With over 50,000 alumni from its online programs, 2U and Oxford are poised to impact professionals far and wide across various sectors.

This initiative underscores 2U's strategy of deepening relationships with elite educational institutions to create a diverse range of learning opportunities. By streamlining collaborative agreements with Oxford, the partnership is well-positioned for future expansions across different schools and offers a model for effective program development.

Andy Morgan, Chief Partnerships Officer at 2U, expressed pride in this expanded partnership with Oxford Law, highlighting the institution's reputation for delivering impactful education across disciplines. He remarked, “We’re proud to expand our partnership to include the Faculty of Law, one of the world’s most prestigious legal institutions, and to support leading universities like Oxford in strategically scaling their reach to meet the evolving needs of professionals worldwide.”

With this new educational offering, legal professionals now have the opportunity to elevate their governance and legal acumen while maintaining their careers. The initiative reflects a significant step towards more flexible learning solutions that align better with the demands of today’s fast-paced working environments.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford is celebrated for its long-standing history in legal education and commitment to pioneering research. Additionally, as the largest community of legal scholars in the UK, it aims to keep pushing the boundaries of legal knowledge and its application in real-world scenarios.

For more information on this new partnership and the upcoming program, interested participants can visit the official 2U website or the University of Oxford's Faculty of Law site. This collaboration signifies a hopeful future for education geared towards cultivating knowledgeable leaders in governance and law, facilitating the kind of learning that addresses the pressing challenges of modern business practices.