The Free Online Internet Governance School That Has Trained Hundreds Across the Globe — and Group O Starts September 7, 2026
| Group O At a Glance: Course start: September 7, 2026 | First live orientation: Monday, September 14, 2026, 10:00 AM EST via Zoom | Course end: November 27, 2026 | Language: English | Cost: Free | Registration: forms.gle/8iWNBeL5Bu755rsv8 | Platform: internetgovernance.moodlecloud.com |
There Is a Free Internet Governance Course Open Right Now. Here Is Everything About It.
If you have been looking for a structured, free, globally accessible way to learn internet governance — from the technical foundations of the DNS to the policy debates at ICANN, the IGF, and the UN — VSIG Group O is the opportunity in front of you right now.
VSIG — the Virtual School on Internet Governance — has just opened registration for its Group O English cohort, the fifteenth intake since the program launched in 2020. The course runs from September 7 to November 27, 2026, is completely free, and is open to anyone anywhere in the world with an internet connection and a genuine interest in learning how the internet is governed.
This article covers everything you need to know to register, what the course teaches, how it is delivered, who teaches it, and what previous graduates say about the experience. The registration window is open now — do not wait.
What Is VSIG? The Story Behind the School
The Virtual School on Internet Governance was born out of necessity. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted the face-to-face Internet Governance Schools that had historically served as primary entry points into the field — schools like NASIG, InSIG, AfrSIG, and SSIG — a group of experienced internet governance educators came together to build a free, online alternative that could serve the global community without geographic or economic barriers.
VSIG was created as a free MOOC — a Massive Open Online Courseware — built on the open-source Moodle platform. Its academic foundation, with ten comprehensive modules covering the key pillars of internet governance, was designed to match the learning objectives of the best face-to-face schools. But unlike those schools, which required travel and were limited to selected participants, VSIG is open to anyone, anywhere, at no cost.
Since launching its first cohort (Group A) in September 2020, VSIG has run fifteen intake groups across English, Spanish, French, and Bengali/Bangla. It has trained students from government ministries, civil society organizations, universities, private sector companies, and technical community bodies across more than 100 countries. Group O represents both the school’s maturity and its continued momentum in 2026.
| ICANN Recognition: In October 2025, Prof. Alfredo Calderón was honored with the Dr. Tarek Kamel Award for Capacity Building by ICANN’s Board — recognizing his outstanding contributions to internet governance education and capacity building through the Virtual School on Internet Governance. |
What Is the Virtual School on Internet Governance?
VSIG is a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Courseware) dedicated to the key pillars of internet governance. It was created in response to a clear gap: the world’s established face-to-face Schools on Internet Governance — intensive in-person programmes run at regional and global levels — are valuable but limited by geography, cost, and capacity. VSIG was designed to complement and extend those experiences, making the same substantive learning available to anyone, anywhere.
The course platform is built on Moodle, an open-source learning management system hosted at internetgovernance.moodlecloud.com. Every enrolled student receives a personal ID and password issued by the registrar — access is not open to the public but is granted to all accepted applicants. The Moodle platform hosts the full course content, discussion threads, assignment submissions, quizzes, and recordings of all live sessions.
Each cohort is a self-contained learning community. Group O is the fifteenth cohort of the English-language course — previous groups have progressed through the alphabet from Group A through Group N, and each has brought together a diverse, globally distributed mix of participants who learn from the course content and from each other in equal measure. VSIG has also expanded significantly beyond English, with courses running in Spanish (Grupo J and Grupo K), French, Bengali, and other languages — reflecting Prof. Calderón’s commitment to multilingual, globally accessible internet governance education.
Meet the Course Founder and Instructors
| Prof. Alfredo Calderón — Course Founder and Academic Lead Prof. Alfredo Calderón is the visionary founder and academic lead of the Virtual School on Internet Governance. Described by VSIG itself as the ‘brainchild’ behind the school, Prof. Calderón has spent decades in the internet governance and digital education space, bringing deep expertise in both the technical and policy dimensions of how the internet is managed globally. His vision for VSIG was simple but powerful: to create an inclusive, free, multilingual online learning option motivated initially by the COVID-19 pandemic but designed to continue as a permanent alternative for anyone who wants foundational knowledge in internet governance regardless of where they live or what resources they have. Under his academic leadership, VSIG has grown from an English-only course into a multilingual program serving students across every world region. |
| Glenn McKnight — Lead Instructor and Program Coordinator Glenn McKnight is the lead instructor and primary program coordinator at VSIG, and the main operational force behind each cohort’s smooth delivery. A long-serving and widely respected figure in the ICANN community, Glenn brings hands-on policy development experience — particularly from his work with NARALO (the North American Regional At-Large Organization) and ISOC — directly into the VSIG classroom. Glenn manages the day-to-day running of each intake: coordinating student onboarding, issuing course credentials, running the weekly live Zoom sessions, maintaining the VSIG blog and community platforms, and personally welcoming each new cohort. His signature closing to the Group O update — ‘Glenn and Alfredo’ — reflects the close collaborative partnership at the heart of how VSIG is run. Students consistently cite his personal engagement and accessibility as a highlight of the learning experience. |
| Bill Jouris — Course Instructor Bill Jouris is an experienced instructor who contributes to VSIG’s course delivery, bringing subject-matter expertise across the school’s core internet governance modules. His teaching role within the VSIG programme adds instructional depth and diversity to the learning experience, supporting students as they work through the curriculum’s ten modules. Like all VSIG instructors, Bill brings both knowledge of the field and a commitment to VSIG’s core mission: making high-quality internet governance education accessible to students from all backgrounds, regions, and career stages — from complete newcomers to practitioners looking to formalize and deepen their understanding. |
VSIG Group O: Dates, Schedule, and What to Expect!
Group O is the English-language cohort opening in September 2026. Here are the confirmed dates and schedule details, published directly by the VSIG team:
| Detail | Information |
| Course name | VSIG Group O — English Language Cohort |
| Course start date | September 7, 2026 |
| Course end date | November 27, 2026 (12 weeks) |
| First live session | Monday, September 14, 2026 at 10:00 AM EST — Orientation via Zoom |
| Live session format | Weekly Zoom sessions on Mondays at 10 AM EST |
| Missed sessions | All sessions recorded and shared on the VSIG YouTube playlist |
| Platform | Moodle — internetgovernance.moodlecloud.com |
| Course access | Individual student ID and Password issued in August 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Course fee | Completely FREE — no charge |
| Registration form | https://forms.gle/8iWNBeL5Bu755rsv8 |
| Contact | info@virtualsig.org |
What You Will Learn: The 10-Module Curriculum
VSIG’s curriculum is built around ten comprehensive modules that together provide a complete foundation in internet governance — from the technical layer to the policy and rights dimensions. The course structure mirrors the learning objectives of the best face-to-face internet governance schools, adapted for an online, self-paced-plus-live format.
- Module 1: Introduction to Internet Governance — definitions, key organizations, and why governance matters
- Module 2: The Internet Ecosystem — IANA, ICANN, IETF, RIRs, ISOC, and how they relate
- Module 3: Domain Names and the DNS — how domain names work, who manages them, policy implications
- Module 4: IP Addressing — IPv4, IPv6, the RIR system, and address policy
- Module 5: Internet Standards and the IETF — how protocols are made and why it matters
- Module 6: Cybersecurity and Internet Governance — threats, policies, and international responses
- Module 7: Human Rights and the Internet — freedom of expression, privacy, access as a right
- Module 8: Development and Digital Inclusion — the digital divide, universal access, and policy tools
- Module 9: The IGF and Multistakeholder Governance — how the IGF works and how to engage
- Module 10: Current Issues and the Future of Internet Governance — AI governance, data sovereignty, WSIS+20
Each module includes readings, discussion forums, Zoom session components, student assignments, and quizzes. The Moodle platform hosts all content, and all live sessions are recorded for students who cannot attend at the scheduled time.
How to Register for VSIG Group O?
Registration for Group O is open now. The process is straightforward — here is exactly what to do:
Complete the Registration Form Submit the Group O registration form at https://forms.gle/8iWNBeL5Bu755rsv8. The form collects basic information about your background, professional context, and interest in internet governance. Be specific — the VSIG team uses this information to understand the diversity of each cohort.
Wait for Your Student ID and Password After your registration is processed, you will be sent your individual Moodle login credentials — a student ID and password — during August 2026. These give you access to the full course platform at internetgovernance.moodlecloud.com starting September 7.
Introduce Yourself in the Discussion Thread When you receive your credentials and access the course, your first task is to introduce yourself via the course Discussion Thread. The VSIG community is genuinely global and the cohort introductions are one of the most energizing parts of the experience — students from dozens of countries presenting their backgrounds and goals for the course.
Attend the Orientation on September 14 Your first live session — the Group O Orientation — takes place on Monday, September 14, 2026 at 10 AM EST via Zoom. This session introduces you to the instructors, the course structure, fellow students, and what to expect over the twelve weeks ahead. If you cannot attend live, the recording will be shared on the VSIG YouTube playlist.
Engage Weekly Through to November 27 The course runs for twelve weeks, with weekly live sessions on Mondays and ongoing module work through Moodle. Active participation in discussion threads, completion of module assignments, and engagement with your fellow students are the core of the VSIG learning experience. The course concludes on November 27, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is VSIG Group O really free?
Yes — completely free. There is no tuition fee, no registration fee, and no charge for any part of the course. VSIG was built specifically to remove economic barriers to internet governance education and has operated on a free-to-all model since its first cohort in 2020. All course materials, live sessions, recordings, and platform access are provided at no cost to students.
Q2: Do I need prior knowledge of internet governance or technical networking to join?
No prior knowledge is required. VSIG Group O is designed to be accessible to complete newcomers — students who have never attended an internet governance event or studied networking. The curriculum starts from foundational concepts and builds progressively. The diversity of backgrounds in each cohort — from diplomats to software developers to community advocates — is itself part of the learning experience.
Q3: What happens if I miss a live Zoom session?
All live Monday sessions are recorded and shared on VSIG’s YouTube playlist, so you can watch any session you miss at your own convenience. The Moodle platform also hosts all course content asynchronously. While live participation enriches the experience, missing a session does not mean missing the content.
Q4: Who are the course founders and instructors?
VSIG was founded by Prof. Alfredo Calderón, who serves as the academic lead and designed the curriculum. Glenn McKnight is the lead instructor and program coordinator, managing cohort operations and running weekly live sessions. Bill Jouris is a contributing course instructor. All three bring active internet governance experience into the classroom.
Q5: How does VSIG connect to ICANN and IGF participation?
VSIG’s curriculum covers ICANN’s structure, policy development process, and community pathways in depth — giving students the knowledge foundation that strengthens fellowship applications and public comment contributions. Many VSIG graduates have gone on to apply for ICANN and IGF Fellowship Programs, citing the course as essential preparation. Glenn McKnight’s own background in NARALO and ISOC means students also get direct insight into civil society participation pathways within ICANN’s multistakeholder community.
| VSIG Group O Registration Is Open Right Now. It Is Free. There Is No Reason to Wait. The Virtual School on Internet Governance has taken students from zero knowledge to active community participation in twelve weeks — at no cost — since 2020. Group O is the next cohort, and it starts September 7, 2026. Register today, get your credentials in August, and join one of the most welcoming and globally diverse learning communities in the internet governance ecosystem. Register, learn, and shape the internet: Register for VSIG Group O Today Register now at https://forms.gle/8iWNBeL5Bu755rsv8 — it takes 5 minutes Visit the VSIG website at virtualsig.org for course details and update Contact the VSIG team at info@virtualsig.org with questions Watch previous VSIG session recordings on YouTube to preview the experience Follow IG Insight at iginsight.org — internet governance learning resources Share this article with someone who belongs in the Group O cohort Internet governance is for everyone. VSIG was built to prove it. Group O is your moment. Register now. |
Dipankar Barua is an internet governance advocate from Dhaka, Bangladesh, who believes that voices from the Global South must be heard in the rooms where the internet’s future is decided. As an ICANN advocate and VSIG member, he actively engages in multistakeholder policy processes spanning DNS security, digital inclusion, and responsible AI governance. With an academic grounding in Computer Science and AI, and over 15 years of applied IT experience, Dipankar bridges the gap between technical communities and policy spaces — writing, participating, and advocating for a more open, equitable, and inclusive internet for all.
