First, a new addition to our catalog. We've launched Career Certificates: thousands of certificates focused on building career skills. Pick one for the job you have, or the next one.

May had double surprises. First, the Coursera-Udemy merger which was supposed to close in the second half of 2026, closed sooner. More details here.

In the merger closure announcement, Udemy CEO Hugo Sarrazin’s role was unclear. Two weeks later, he silently joined Avalara, a tax and compliance company as CEO. No post, no press release from either Udemy or him. Read more.

Speaking of exits, Duolingo will shut down its decade-long Duolingo for Schools program. It felt sudden. But the signs were there. We tried to connect the dots here.

Duolingo also released its Q1 2026 earnings. It’s the first quarter under its new 100M DAU strategy. Looks like it’s working, but at a cost. See how the quarter went.

While people are talking about “the end of the four-year degree”, David Joyner’s latest essay pushes back. Georgia Tech's Executive Director of Online Education asks: what exactly are we replacing? And can we? Read his essay here.

David’s essay on third spaces in online learning got Kanishka thinking about the bar lectures she attends. No grades. No projects. No skill. Still fulfilling. Why? Read her answer here.

In March, we dropped our massive hobbies list. Last month, Pat curated 120 free courses to level up in communication, negotiation, leadership, or emotional intelligence. Find the list here.

Want to learn Chinese? Fabio has the best apps for you. Want to learn English in China? We’ve got a list for that, too.

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