The Indian government is all set to establish the inaugural IIT campus outside of India. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has officially announced that the inauguration of the IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus is scheduled for early November in Zanzibar. The announcement was made during an event where Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan received an honorary doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Expressing his thoughts, Minister Pradhan stated, “I am delighted to announce the establishment of the first offshore campus of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Zanzibar. The IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus is set to be inaugurated next month.” He went on to highlight the significant impact of this institute on educational cooperation between India and Africa, particularly Tanzania. The IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus will offer students from Tanzania and other African nations access to high-quality engineering and technology education, contributing to nation-building, economic growth, technological advancement, and research and innovation in Africa.
The campus in Zanzibar is under the leadership of Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, who previously served as a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras.
At the IIT Madras Zanzibar campus, two full-time courses will be available: a four-year Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and a two-year Master of Technology in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Student selection will be based on eligibility and qualifications.
Students at the Zanzibar campus will have various opportunities during their studies, including study abroad and semester exchange programs with partner universities of IIT Madras in the UK, Australia, and other countries. Additionally, they will have the chance to undertake internships with relevant businesses and fulfill certain course requirements at the IIT Madras campus in Chennai, India.
