( CNN ) -- Around the world , and in developing nations especially , there is an overwhelming demand for higher education . Despite worldwide increases in tertiary enrolment numbers , there still remains disparity between those with access to quality education and those without . In Sub-Saharan Africa , for example , only 6 % of college-age students are enrolled in higher education . John Defterios : The world 's next economic powers do n't need the West . That number rises to 72 % in North America and Western Europe , but hovers around 20 % to 40 % for most developing regions , according to UNESCO reports . Without higher education , most people face a grim future . But once you consider the possibilities provided by an internet connection and the growing availability of quality online education resources , the conversation about accessibility shifts from `` where '' to `` how , '' and exciting new opportunities ( and challenges ) arise . So how do we actualize the idea of education for everyone ? Read more : Does Brazil deserve its ' B ' for BRIC ? At Coursera , only one-third of our students are from the U.S. , and 40 % are from the developing world . Not surprisingly , three of our biggest countries outside the U.S. are Brazil , India , and Russia , where the number of jobs that require a higher education greatly exceeds the number of people with education sufficient to do these jobs . In Russia , for example , new student enrollments rose 230 % since January 2013 ( surpassing new student growth from the U.S. , which is up 178 % ) . Our large international growth poses challenges in dealing with cultural and language differences . The challenges . Despite our global reach , most of the course material and lectures found on our platform are in English , making the courses inaccessible to many students whose native language is not English . To address this issue , we are taking a two pronged approach . First , we are working with our partner universities in non-English-speaking countries to offer courses taught natively in languages other than English ( currently French , Spanish , Chinese , German , and Italian ) . More from Koller : Top college courses , for free ? We are also building up a network of `` translation partners '' - non-profits , companies , and universities - to translate Coursera lectures from popular courses into a selection of languages common among our students . Reducing language barriers opens up new possibilities and applications of online education . Experiments in global learning . Moscow-based Digital October ( one of our translation partners ) has experimented with creative ways to use online education to transcend cultural and language barriers . The center for new technology and entrepreneurship recently hosted a multi-national `` ideahack . '' This interactive meet-up centered around the University of Pennsylvania 's online Gamification course , and attracted more than 200 live students from Moscow and 15 students from three continents around the world via video conference , with the event being simultaneously translated for Russian and English audiences . Fareed Zakaria : How to beat inequality . Those attending worked in small groups applying principles learnt from Professor Kevin Werbach 's Coursera course . Professor Werbach participated virtually throughout the event . Princeton 's Professor Mitch Duneier taught his sociology class to a global audience . He says that : `` Within three weeks I had received more feedback on my sociological ideas than I had in a career of teaching , which significantly influenced each of my subsequent lectures and seminars . '' These insights have reshaped the way he teaches his Princeton students on campus . One student wrote to him , saying , `` It has been an incredible experience for me , one that has not only taught me sociology , but the ways in which other cultures think , feel , and respond . '' Bill Gates : I just do n't see room for education cuts . By their very nature , Massive Open Online Courses ( MOOCs ) foster an open environment where people from all walks of life can contribute to a thriving collaborative community . Translation of online courses further helps increase access to people from diverse backgrounds , and thereby enables the true globalization of education . Other models for online education are also being explored , such as the flipped classroom , which makes high-quality course content available in conjunction with local instruction . This can provide much needed expansion of education in the many countries that lack qualified instructors . The future . With the rise of online education , the notion of a `` global classroom '' is being discussed by educators and the media alike . To me , achieving a `` global classroom '' means using education to erase barriers between people of different cultures and backgrounds ; it means giving people the opportunity to learn without the limits imposed by physical or socio-economic circumstances ; and it means giving schools and instructors around the world the ability to transcend boundaries to bring high-quality education to their students . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daphne Koller .
In Sub-Saharan Africa , 6 % of college-age students enroll in higher education . Internet and the growing availability of quality online education can change this . Koller : http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/world/africa/in-south-sudan-a-new-school-for-the-young.html?_r=0 Comment: