NIIT ties up with UK's Open University

IT education provider NIIT has entered into an alliance with Open University of United Kingdom to offer a bachelor's programme to its students in six foreign countries.

Of the total 30 countries where the company has a presence, NIIT students in six countries "" Bangladesh, Botswana, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria and Vietnam "" will be offered BSc (honours) Computing and its practice degree, called DNIIT. "We are starting with these six countries and our intention is to take it to all the 30 countries we operate in," NIIT Chairman Rajendra Pawar said.

The programme will begin in three of the six countries selected by April 2006. However, it will not be offered in India. The regulatory environment on functioning of foreign universities in India is not very clear, Pawar said.

Under the programme, students who have completed the two-year GNIIT course would be offered the BSc degree and in the third year will be required to take exams held by the Open University.

Depending on the success of the DNIIT programme, the company might also launch a master's programme. "Later, we can start a master's programme too with NIIT," vice-chancellor of Open University Brenda Gourley said, adding that the quality of the programme would be monitored at many levels.

The UK degree will help students gain admission to higher-level programmes in the UK and other countries. "The degree will give 340 points to the students, the minimum required for a master's programme in the UK and should thus facilitate admission for a master's degree," said pro-vice chancellor of the university David Vincent.

The course will cost $ 1,800 for three years.