Varsity College Partnerships 41866VC_Partnership_Brochure_2017_LR (1).PDF | Page 3

“The IIE is the only South African private Higher Education provider
which carries the BAC accreditation at this time, and we are very
proud of reaching this significant milestone. Not just for ourselves,
but for the sector as a whole. Within the challenging context of
higher education in our country, it is important that private higher
education providers are able to confidently and competently offer
options to prospective students to further their studies at campuses
other than public universities,” said Felicity Coughlan.
The IIE’s BAC accreditation means that Varsity College students are
assured that their IIE learning experience meets international best
practice standards.
PARTNERSHIPS
THE OPEN UNIVERSITY (OU)
The IIE has strengthened its partnership with The Open University
(OU), through a collaboration that is set to change the way students
access distance learning education opportunities, in South Africa and
on the rest of the continent.
The OU is a world leader in modern distance learning and is the
largest and only distance education institution in the UK. The OU is
a pioneer of technology-enhanced learning methods, which enables
people to achieve their career and life goals, studying at times and in
places to suit them.
The IIE and The Open University have established an exciting and
innovative partnership that provides for:
• the joint exploration of possibilities for ongoing

collaboration, including the increased integration of OU

educational methodology into IIE qualifications;
• the joint development of opportunities to participate in

the growth of the Higher Education sector in Africa; and
• ongoing opportunities for students of The Independent

Institute of Education to have their credits recognised for

access to both undergraduate and postgraduate

qualifications abroad.