India and US are likely to enter into a partnership to launch Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) courses through an online platform. Titled Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), the web portal will offer online courses in multiple subjects.
An MoU regarding the partnership is expected to be signed in November.
India wants the video lectures of the American universities to be made available for the SWAYAM portal free so that Indian students can access them for a nominal fee.
Under the cooperation agreement, the SWAYAM server will be based in India while US universities will be invited to offer academic programmes on the platform.
Sources said the HRD ministry and the National Science Foundation (NSF), the federal agency of the US that promotes science and research, might initiate a programme called Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN).
Under this scheme, faculty members from US institutions would spend part of their time teaching in academic and research institutions across India.
