The New York Times offers an in-depth look today at Philanthropy University,    the new Berkeley-Haas partnership that provides free-online training to social sector leaders around the world.

Paul Sullivan, author of the Times’ Wealth Matters column, notes that more than 200,000 people from 138 nations have now enrolled in the first month of operations.  “Philanthropy University is certainly off to a fast start,” he writes.

Sullivan profiles two enrollees — the development director of a rural hospital in India and a project manager for the World Wildlife Fund in the Phillippines –who  highlight the project’s global attraction.

The Times also interviews His Excellency Amr Al-Dabbagh, whose Stars Foundation teamed up with Berkeley-Haas to launch Philanthropy U, as well as Laura Tyson, director of the Berkeley-Haas Insititute for Business and Social Impact and chair of the Philanthropy U advisory committee.

“There’s a desperate need for such an offering,”  Al-Dabbagh told the Times. “We’re offering a world-class curriculum with world-class practitioners and professors, and we’re offering it as a free collaborative platform with a vibrant community.”