• Expansion of IGNOU reach at international level through a four-fold approach of “Collaboration, cooperation, coordination and competition”.
• Internationalization of higher education through bilateral and multi-lateral collaborations.
• To network with international educational institutes of repute and inter-governmental agencies to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment internationally.
• Offering IGNOU’s academic programmes (ODL and online mode) in international arena.
• Promotion of Indian Knowledge System (IKS) internationally.
• To develop cultural, educational and scientific ties of cooperation, to encourage academic exchange and collaboration, and to advance education and training in the respective institutions through collaborations with educational institutes outside India.

• International Division was established as International Cell in 1996 with the mandate to promote bilateral and multilateral collaborations and to network with international educational institutions and inter-governmental agencies to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment internationally and to coordinate the international delegation and visits to the University.
• The International Division in its objective of expanding the frontiers of IGNOU follows a four-fold approach of “Collaboration, cooperation, coordination and competition”.
• International Division is the mini unit of all operation divisions and offers complete student support services to the overseas and foreign students residing in India like Admission, Examination, evaluation, award of degree and an integrated ICT support.
• The University has also entrusted International Division as nodal centre for promoting, offering and monitoring online programmes for international students.

Keeping the objective of National Education Policy 2020 i.e. internationalization of higher education in focus, the University has taken many initiatives. At present, the University has its presence in 88 countries through various agreements/projects including 25 Overseas Study Centres (OSCs) spread over 15 foreign countries. The cumulative enrolment of international students is around 92000.

International Division is committed to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment internationally through various international collaborations of mutual benefits. For expansion of the international presence of the University, we are following a four-fold approach of “Collaboration, cooperation, coordination and competition”.

At present, we offer 168 programmes through Open & Distance Learning (ODL) Mode through Universities/Institutions identified as its Overseas Study Centres internationally. The very objective of this initiative is to impart quality higher education through open and distance learning mode on mutual benefit basis. The programmes are offered in various disciplines at certificate, diploma, pg diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate level. We register overseas students through 25 Overseas Study Centre located in 15 Countries.

Moreover, Foreign Students Residing in India (FSRI) may register in all academic programmes on offer for national students through any of our Regional Centres in India subject to fulfilment of educational and other requirements.

We offer complete student support services to the overseas and FSRI like Admission, Examination, evaluation, award of degree and an integrated ICT support.

International Division is also nodal centre for promoting, offering and monitoring online programmes for international students and a dedicated Learning Management System (LMS) portal has been provided for 44 online programmes on offer at present.

Further, for promoting online programmes of the University internationally, the University come out with a scheme of “Overseas Facilitator” and agreements have been signed with most of our existing OSCs for this purpose.

Prof. Jitendra Kumar Srivastava
Director, International Division

• Recognition of Overseas Study Centres.
• Complete student support services to the overseas and foreign students residing in India
• Coordinates the international delegation and visits to the University.

• The University is continuously working for expanding its reach and writes letters to Indian Embassies/High Commissions in various countries from time-to-time for their kind assistance for collaboration with institutes to recognize them as Overseas Study Centres.
• Under the e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati(e-VBAB) Network Project of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the University is offering its 51 programmes online in 19 African countries. Later, Afghanistan was included in eVBAB Project.
• The University offered a three-month online Basic Hindi Awareness programme for foreign nationals in collaboration with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and Central Hindi Directorate (CHD) and registered students from 9 countries in the first batch and from 29 countries in the second batch. Recently, the University has started the third batch of three-month online Basic Hindi Awareness Course with registration from 42 countries.
• The University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open University of Kenya (OUK).
• Further, the University also signed Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with the Baikal State University, Russia the Financial University, Moscow, Russia and the Hellenic Open University (HOU), Greece.
• For promoting online programmes of the University internationally, the University come out with a scheme of “Overseas Facilitator” and Memorandum of Agreementshave been signed with 14 existing Overseas Study Centres in the first phase. Recently, Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed with ‘ICA, Education Pvt. Ltd. (ICAEPL), Nepal and Centre for Open and Distance Education, Kenya for Overseas Facilitator.

Whom to contact at International Division for what? (In case of Learner Support Divisions)
Whom to Contact for what (For International Students only)