The Open University has signed an agreement with Indian education provider Manipal Global Education Services Ltd to share best practice and offer their students the chance to study for a UK qualification via distance learning. Peter Horrocks, Vice-Chancellor of the OU, was in India as part of a UK Government trade delegation to raise the profile of UK Higher Education and signed the Memorandum of Understanding at a special ceremony in Bangalore.
Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, who is leading the delegation with Secretary of State for Business and Innovation and Skills Sajid Javid MP, said:
“The UK higher education sector is among the best in the world, but by working with international partners, students can reap the rewards of combined experience and expertise. This exciting new partnership brings together institutions from the UK and India who are leaders in combining cutting-edge technology with a focus on industry-relevant learning. I have no doubt this agreement will help provide students with the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.”
Peter Horrocks, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University said,
“The Open University is recognised globally for its ability to deliver high quality learning material at a distance and at scale. There is an enormous unmet demand for higher education in India. The Indian Government has set an ambitious target of increasing enrolment from 18% in 2014 to 30% by 2020. The OU is well-placed to help deliver on this mission, and this new agreement is further evidence of our commitment to making quality higher education available to all.”
From left to right Mr S. Vaitheeswaran Manipal Global Educational Services, Jo Johnson Minister for Universities and Science, Peter Horrocks VC of The Open University and Steve Hill, Director of External Engagement The Open University
Managing Director and CEO of Manipal Global Educational Services, Mr S. Vaitheeswaran, said,
“Education is increasingly moving online, and this MoU between two established leaders in the education industry will allow both to offer learners very high quality, cross-spectrum learning, based on the latest needs of the industry,”
The Open University also signed agreements with Amity University and Shiv Nadar University in India to create partnerships that draw on the OU’s expertise in developing large online programmes which develop industry skills.
The Open University has a history of providing education at scale in India with projects such as TESS-India which gave teachers free access to Open Educational resources.
