The Government of Somalia's Ministry of Culture and Higher Education has granted a university license to the Islamic Online University, adding it to its list of accredited universities in Somalia which are recognized by the UN and therefore recognized by accredited universities globally.

Please click here to view the initial license and here to view the renewed license.

B.Sc. IBE Program Accredited by ICIFE

ICIFE, global body for professional certification and accreditation for Islamic finance education, carefully examined the IOU B.Sc. in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance (B.Sc. IBE) program and decreed that it fulfills all the requirements and passed all the prescribed assessments. Hence, the ICIFE awarded the B.Sc. IBE program with ICIFE Certificate of Conformity on Accreditation Standards accordingly.

ICIFE was established on December 18, 2013, from an initiative known as Entry Point Project (EPP) 7 under Malaysian government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has been appointed to spearhead this project jointly with other selected universities with the purpose of developing and internationally acceptable Curriculum and Talent for Islamic finance education. This body plays an important role as guardian and global authority on Islamic banking and finance. ICIFE aims to increase and maintain the professionalism of the educators in Islamic Finance field at the national and international level.

For the copy of the certificate, click here.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology has granted to the Islamic Online University a license to operate an online university in The Gambia with effect from May 13, 2014.

Please click here to view the license.

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) of the Government of The Gambia, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on June 15, 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The Islamic Online University (IOU) is an approved member institution of the Association of African Universities (AAU).  

The Association of African Universities is an international non-governmental organization set up by universities in Africa to promote cooperation among themselves and between them and the international Academic community.

The AAU is the apex organization and principal forum for consultation, exchange of information and cooperation among the universities in Africa; and where appropriate, the AAU works in collaboration with other national and international organizations, including governments.

The AAU has affiliations with an increasing number of organizations within and outside Africa, and has signed Memoranda of Understanding with a number of others.

I.    Organizations with which AAU is affiliated

• International Association of Universities (IAU)
• Association of Arab Universities
• Association of Commonwealth Universities
• Association of Partly or Wholly French-speaking Universities (AUPELF)
• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
• African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES)
• International Foundation of Science (IFS)
• Accorded Observer Status at the African Union (AU)
• Accorded Observer Status at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Accorded Observer Status at the United Nations University (UNU)

II.  Organizations with which AAU has signed Memoranda of Understanding

• Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
• National Association for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education (NAFEO)
• New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
• African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF)

​The ​IOU membership can be verified ​here​​.

The Islamic Online University (IOU) is an approved member institution of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).

The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) was founded in 1938 in Canada as the International Council for Correspondence Education and today, the ICDE is the leading global membership organization for open, distance, flexible and online education, including e-learning, with members from 60 countries representing every continent.

ICDE is a non-governmental organization supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research and in formal consultative relations with UNESCO. ICDE works together with UNESCO in the service of international cooperation and development since 1967. This status grants ICDE’s members a voice at UNESCO.

​The ​IOU membership can be verified ​here​​.

The Islamic Online University is an associate member of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU). The Association, AAOU, is a non-profit organization of higher learning institutions that were established to widen the educational opportunities available for all people in Asia and to improve the quality of the institutions in terms of their educational management, teaching and research.

The AAOU promotes education by distance teaching systems, as well as professional and ethical standards; develops potentialities of open and distance education; cooperates with official bodies and others directly or indirectly interested in education at a distance; and facilitates cooperation with other similar regional and international bodies.

The objectives of the AAOU are:

1. -To widen the educational opportunities available to all the people of the region and to improve the cost of member institutions by exchanging management information, teaching materials and research;
2. -To help promote education by distance teaching systems, and develop its potentialities;
3. -To help promote professional and ethical standards amongst distance educators;
4. -To cooperate with official bodies and others directly or indirectly interested in distance education;
5. -To facilitate cooperation with other similar regional and international bodies in all the above objectives;
6. -To do all other things incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objectives.

The membership of IOU at the AAOU may be verified here.

 

In its quest to change nations through education by raising a generation of individuals aware of their social duties towards their communities, the Islamic Online University has joined the Talloires Network, which is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education. The Talloires Network is a global coalition of 315 universities in 72 countries with a combined enrollment of over 6 million students. 

General Benefits of the Talloires Network Member Institutions

• Eligibility to apply for the annual MacJannet Prize, which provides monetary awards and public recognition for innovative and effective university civic engagement programs
• Connections to peers (administrators, staff, faculty, and students) at institutions around the world who have similar interests in civic engagement
• Opportunities for joint initiatives, including institutional partnerships and regional conferences
• Access to a shared global platform, through the Talloires Network’s website, monthly newsletter, and other communication tools to increase the visibility of the Islamic Online University’s civic engagement work
• Access to expertise on civic engagement through online toolkits and resources
• Announcements of opportunities that may be of interest to the Islamic Online University, such as grant opportunities and regional conferences

Benefits for the Students

• Access to information on civic engagement and experiential learning, which builds critical thinking skills, leadership skills, and a sense of social responsibility
• Platform for student voices and a framework for more communication with other stakeholders than might be possible inside a single institution

The Islamic Online University is committed towards its civic engagement and realizes that universities should play a major role in creating a generation of individuals who are aware of their social responsibilities and would benefit their communities as responsible citizens. The IOU's civic engagement activities' summary and membership status can be verified here. 

The Islamic Online University Civic Engagement Report (August 2015) may be viewed here.

The Islamic Online University is a member of the International Council of Islamic Finance Educators (ICIFE) which is the Global Body for Professional Certification and Accreditation for the Islamic Finance Education. The ICIFE aims to increase and maintain the professionalism of educators in the Islamic Finance field at the national (Malaysia) and international level. 

Some of the Objectives of ICIFE are:

• To design and develop a world class curriculum for the Islamic finance education.
• To review and update the Islamic finance curriculum continuously to be relevant to market needs.
• To develop training modules for knowledge and skills development of talents for teaching, and training students and professionals in Islamic finance.
• To publish text and reference books, journals, magazines and newsletters.

Benefits of Joining ICIFE:

• Membership in ICIFE will give IOU professional recognition in the field of Islamic banking and finance educators as ICIFE is the leading authority here.
• Access to a pool of experts who can be relied upon for information and advice on the recognition, accreditation and authenticity of curriculum in Islamic banking and finance and the related areas.
• Opportunity to participate in specialized programs and courses organized for the benefit of ICIFE members and associates in the field of Islamic banking and finance and its related areas.
   

Benefits for the Students:

• The students will receive a world class curriculum in Islamic economics and finance education that will be updated continuously to cater to the needs of the market.

• There will be networking opportunities for students to develop their careers further in the respective fields of study in the area of Islamic banking, economics and finance.

The membership of IOU at the ICIFE can be verified here.

The Islamic Online University (IOU) ​has ​established ​ICIFE (International Council of Islamic Finance Educators) ​​country chapters in four countries: India, the Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Somaliland​.

The country chapter certificates may be viewed here:

• Indian Chapter Certificate.
• The Gambian Chapter Certificate.
• Sierra Leone Chapter Certificate.
• Somaliland Chapter Certificate.

The Islamic Online University is an associate member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), which is a world-wide association of over 200 organizations active in the theory and practice of quality assurance in higher education.

INQAAHE is a quality assurance community with shared interests, a common language and an understanding of how things are done with regard to a very specific field of work. It provides a forum for the discussion of global issues, such as cross border education that go beyond national or regional boundaries. Members have the opportunity to learn from what others are doing, from both their successes and their failures, and thus have now set the ground for the development of a quality assurance profession.

The membership can be verified here.

The Islamic Online University is an associate member of the African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN), which has been set up to provide assistance to institutions concerned with Quality Assurance in higher education in Africa. The Network has been set up by the Association of African Universities (AAU) with financial support from Global Initiative on Quality Assurance Capacity (GIQAC)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The Network is committed to the enhancement of the quality of higher education on the African continent and the collaboration with similar organizations on other continents. 

The objectives of AfriQAN are to:

1. Promote a culture of quality assurance in higher education in Africa;
2. Foster collaboration and linkages among quality assurance bodies within Africa;
3. Advance good practices in the enhancement and maintenance of quality higher education in Africa;
4. Collaborate with quality assurance bodies in Africa in capacity building;
5. Facilitate research into the practice of quality assurance in higher education for purposes of improving the quality of higher education in Africa;
6. Provide advice and expertise for the development of new national and sub-regional quality assurance bodies in Africa;
7. Assist members of the Network to articulate standards of institutions operating in member countries;
8. Foster harmonization of standards for quality assurance across countries in Africa
9. Facilitate international recognition of qualifications to enhance mobility of staff and students in Africa; and
10. Promote the interests of Africa in other networks and international organizations with related focus.

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The Islamic Online University is an associate member of the Association of Quality Assurance Agencies of the Islamic World (IQA) established in an effort to promote and enhance quality higher education in the countries of the Islamic world.

The goals of IQA are:

• To enhance the capacity of quality assurance agencies in countries of the Islamic World
• To facilitate collaboration and exchanges of best practices, experiences and expertise among quality assurance agencies of countries of the Islamic World; and
• To encourage cooperation with regional and international quality assurance organizations.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Fatoni University, Thailand, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) has been signed on December 15, 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The Institute of Business & Technology (Biztek), Karachi, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 10, 2015.

Umma University, Kenya, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 30, 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

Indus University, Pakistan, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on August 24, 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) has been signed on June 26, 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The Al-Qalam University, Katsina, Nigeria, and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The Royal University of Dhaka (RUD), Bangladesh and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

Hamdard University, Pakistan and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

Isra University, Pakistan and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2015

Please click here to view the MOU.

Riphah International University, Pakistan and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Pakistan and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

Bayan Institute of Higher Education, Afghanistan and Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement in May 2016.

Please click here to view the MOA.

Islamic University in Uganda and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2015.

Please click here to view the MOU.

The College of Sharee’ah and Islamic Studies at Kuwait University, Kuwait and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August 2014.

Please click here to view the MOU.
Click here to view the English translation of the MOU.

Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) of Malaysia and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Letter of Intent in July 2014 to execute a formal Memorandum of Understanding.

Wisdom International School for Higher Education Studies (WISHES) of Philippines and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement in 2010.

The Gollis University of Somaliland and the Islamic Online University (IOU) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 31st of March, 2013, and subsequently, The Gollis University of Somaliland will issue a BA degree to IOU BAIS graduates.

Please click here to view the MOA.