The Zambian Open University (ZAOU) is a private Open and Distance Learning (ODL) University, which was established in 2002 having been registered in November of that year under the Companies Act No. 26 of 1994 of the Laws of Zambia. ZAOU was registered with the then Ministry of Education (MOE) on 23rd December 2004, within the provisions of the University Act No. 11 of 1999 of the Laws of Zambia.
ZAOU’s first 369 students were enrolled in January, 2005, in the School of Education and the School of Social Sciences and Law. On 25th March, 2005 the University was formally launched by the late Republican President Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.