Kolkata: Institute for Inspiration and Self Development (IISD), headquartered here and jointly promoted by infrastructure financing major Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd. and Prajna Vidya Bharati Ltd, signed here on Wednesday an agreement with the British educational institution, AOC International, for undertaking a number of educational and training initiatives in West Bengal.

"With the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two organisations have entered into a strategic relationship to jointly run various courses and academic programmes on a revenue sharing basis," AOC International chairman and managing director Khurshid Alam said.

He said some of the courses and training programmes, covered by the agreement, had been developed by the education and training wing of AOC International under the umbrella of the International Centre for Advance Studies and Training (ICAST).

As part of the educational partnership, a number of faculty members from Britain will also be visiting India from time to time to offer specific training for students in India. IISD is aiming to start the courses from the beginning of 2009.

"The educational programme will comprise a number of courses on healthcare, management, diploma and education certificate level information technology courses of British Computing Society (BCS), hospitality management, tourism and retail," said IISD chairman Hari Prasad Kanoria.

"We're also planning to set up a business school in India partnering AOC International. But the plan has not been finalised so far. It's in a liquid stage," he added. IANS