Corporate Social Responsibility
FutureLearn is a leading UK-based online learning platform that empowers people at all stages of their lives. Founded in 2012, the platform has over 22 million registered learners and hundreds of world-class partners, offering thousands of cutting-edge courses, professional certificates and fully-online degrees.
Driven by accessibility, collaboration, and a passion to innovate, FutureLearn recognises its role as a key community partner within the regions it serves. It drives impact by transforming careers and shaping the future of education.
Sustainable lifelong learning for all
We partner with the world’s leading educators to support individuals and organisations in addressing skills gaps with flexible, personalised and career-transforming learning.
We’re committed to reducing inequality, supporting recovery from economic and social challenges, and contributing positively to society through our operations, partnerships, and activities. By embedding sustainable practices across all we do, we aim to not only provide learning opportunities that enable students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development but also encourage a vibrant community where staff and students can contribute both individually and collectively to our shared goals.
FutureLearn’s principles
Education
We’re committed to expanding access to quality education and ensuring all our students gain essential knowledge for sustainable development.
Equity
We’re dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment in our virtual learning environment, and at all levels of our organisation.
Environment
We strive to reduce our environmental impact and enhance operational sustainability across our institutions.
Ethics
We continually work to uphold and strengthen our ethical standards through transparency, data security, and responsible governance.
Sustainable progress
We recognise our role within the communities and regions we serve. We understand that our decisions and actions affect people, communities, and the natural environment. That’s why we’re aligning our work with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to maximise our positive social, environmental, and economic impact.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015. They serve as a universal call to action by all countries to end poverty, reduce inequalities, tackle climate change and protect the planet.
As part of our corporate social responsibility policy, we’re committed to supporting these selected principles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a global framework for action. We’ll ensure we can contribute directly to the achievement of these SDGs by ensuring that our programmes, platforms, and operations are environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.
- SDG 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- SDG 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- SDG 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- SDG 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- SDG 8. Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth,full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
- SDG 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
- SDG 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
- SDG 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- SDG 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- SDG 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
- SDG 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
FutureLearn For Good
Our purpose has always been to transform access to education, and we understand that our learners come from all walks of life, that’s why we’re committed to breaking down barriers to education for our learners. Whether we’re offering free education for women and girls in Afghanistan or empowering learners with access to sponsored courses, learn more about our FutureLearn For Good initiatives and discover how we’re transforming access to education around the world, for good.
Education for Women in Afghanistan
FutureLearn offers women in Afghanistan free access to short courses and ExpertTracks from the best of British higher education. Girls and women with internet access will be able to study at their own pace, completely free, for the duration of the Taliban’s ban on women’s higher education.
UK-Ukraine University Twinning Initiative
In the midst of ongoing conflict, FutureLearn is giving Ukrainian universities free access to its Campus programme, enabling staff and students at Ukrainian higher education institutions to enrol, for free, on courses designed by the world’s top international universities.
EIT RawMaterials Sponsored Courses
FutureLearn is providing free access to online courses on e-waste, public health and sustainable development to learners around the world. The courses, available in English and Spanish, are part of a partnership between FutureLearn and EIT RawMaterials, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/BRS Secretariat) and the The World Health Organization (WHO).
Sport and Development Sponsored Courses
FutureLearn has partnered with The International Platform on Sport and Development to offer sponsored courses on sport and sustainable development. The free course, titled ‘Sport for Sustainable Development: Designing Effective Policies and Programmes’ has been published in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Download a copy of the policy
Read more about FutureLearn’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy.