New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) would soon be launching a study centre in Zambia for three management programmes, an official statement said on Monday.

"The university will soon be opening its study centre in collaboration with the Zambian Open University (ZOU) in Zambia for three MBA (Master of Business Administration) programmes," said the statement.

According to IGNOU Vice Chancellor M. Aslam, no Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed as yet, but a mutual agreement has been arrived at with Vice Chancellor of ZOU Dickson Mwansa and Zambian High Commisison First Secretary Bwalya Lyapa Nondo.

"Both the delegates visited the university headquarters in the capital to explore possibility of future collaboration and were briefed through a presentation," said the statement.

"The Vice Chancellor apprised them with the fact that IGNOU already is functioning abroad with 82 partner institutions across 43 countries, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh," added the statement.

ZOU was established 14 years ago with 369 students. It is the only Open University in Zambia which now has 6,000 students on its rolls, the statement said. IANS