The Saylor Foundation is a not-profit organization established by Michael J. Saylor, founder and CEO of business intelligence firm MicroStrategy and the Foundation’s sole trustee. Mr. Saylor created the Foundation because he believes education should be free.

Knowledge is a global public good. It is non-rival as it does not reduce the quantity available to other people when myself or anyone else acquires the knowledge. Due to changes in technology knowledge has also become non-excludable as it is hard to exclude someone from acquiring the knowledge if he does not pay for it. Alternatively, it is impossible to prevent anyone from acquiring the knowledge once it becomes available to the world. Knowledge has become faster, easier, cheaper and is available worldwide.

The moodle sites I have created, for my students, stores knowledge. Moodle sites are natural monopolies! A natural monopoly produces a good or service that is non-rival but at the same time natural monopolies can easily exclude others from consuming the good or service if they do not pay for it. A typical example of a natural monopoly we present to economic students is cable television. Cable TV is nonrival but cable companies can easily exclude us from consuming it if we do not pay. Allowing free access to the stored knowledge in my moodle sites I can make it a global public good!

The following article by Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz explores the concept of Knowledge being a Global Public Good.

The foundation offers a major in Economics by allowing students to access the courses free of charge. The major in Economics is composed of 8 core courses and 3 elective courses from a list provided. The courses are self-paced and can aid you with your courses here at TRU. Click here to access the major in Economics