University of Sunderland UK and Aptech Ltd announce international alliance

Company release, March 8, 2005

Mumbai

The University of Sunderland, a dynamic UK-based institution with a growing reputation for enterprise, employment and opportunity announced a degree partnership with Aptech Limited, an education and IT training major with a global presence.

The joint agreement, signed in Mumbai, will enable students of the Aptech Certified Computer Professional (ACCP) Higher National Diploma in Computing provided by Aptech Ltd Worldwide to ‘top up’ their qualification to a BSc (Hons) Computer Studies from the University of Sunderland, UK. The ‘top up’ option will be available through one year’s study at Aptech’s centre in Chennai. Students who successfully complete the HND will also have the option of directly joining the final year of the BSc (Hons) Computer Studies at the University of Sunderland, UK.

To be eligible for the University of Sunderland ‘top up’, candidates must complete the HND with merit scores and attain a minimum Band 6 in the English Language testing examination, ELTS or achieve a TOEFL score of 550 or above.

Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, who is attending the partnership launch, says: “Trans-national collaborations, such as this excellent educational alliance, are becoming increasingly important and are vital to the future of all of us. I would like to thank all those involved in putting together this partnership for their vision and their commitment. The University of Sunderland is very much looking forward to conferring degrees on Aptech students in the very near future.”

Mr. Pramod Khera, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Aptech Limited, says: “Our endeavour is to provide world-class opportunities to students of Aptech. Our tie-up with University of Sunderland UK is another step forward in providing greater value to our students.”

About University of Sunderland

The University of Sunderland is a modern institution based in a vibrant city in the North-East of England. It has a national and international reputation for developing programmes that meet the needs of employers and for working closely with businesses to provide students with relevant, practical teaching that greatly enhances their career prospects. Internationally, the University is delivering a wide range of programmes with quality institutions in 19 countries. It has over 16,000 students, including more than 1,500 international students from over 70 countries. For more information, please visit http:// www.sunderland.ac.uk

About Aptech Limited

Aptech Limited is an ISO 9001: 2000 organization and a leading provider of IT training with a global presence, having trained over 3.5 million students. It has recently forayed into the formal education space with the launch of Aptech University. For further information please visit www.aptech-worldwide.com

For Further information contact:

Nidhi Kapur, Country Office India, University of Sunderland,

email: nidhi.kapur@sunderland.ac.uk

or Arup Saikia, Head of Corporate Communications,

Aptech Limited at arups@aptech.ac.in