The ministry of external affairs have made a proposal of establishing Indo-Africa Virtual University (IAVU) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will formulate aplan for the same with the ministry of human resource development.
The major objective behind IAVU is to strengthen Indo-African relations by establishing an educational link. IAVU will ensure Africa-oriented educational programmes were developed effectively in fields such as health sciences, vocational education, food and nutritional security, and gender empowerment.
The virtual university will be headquartered either in Ethiopia or Kenya. The initial cost is estimated at Rs.150 crore ($3.5 million), with an annual cost or Rs.100 crore.
It could take between six months and a year to implement.
This step will address the educational need of African youth, who stay deprived of quality education beyond the primary stage.There is a lack of skilled graduates and professionals that Africa urgently needs. Only 5 percent of its relevant age group has access to university education.
"Following the success of the Pan-African E-Network Project, we propose to establish an India-Africa Virtual University," the prime minister had said at the India-Africa Forum Summit in the Ethiopian capital."This will help meet some of the demand in Africa for higher studies in Indian institutions. 10,000 new scholarships have been proposed for African students under this University.