Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras inaugurated the first ever international campus of IIT in Zanzibar, Africa on November 6. The institute set off with the first batch of courses in Bachelor of Science (BS) and MTech programmes. More academic programmes will be launched in the coming year.
The initial batch at IITM Zanzibar comprises of students from Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, Nepal and India with 40 per cent of the students being women. A total of 45 students have been admitted for a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science and AI and a two-year Master of Technology degree in Data Science and AI.
The Zanzibar campus was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council in the presence of Tanzanian officials, Indian dignitaries, faculty and students.
The campus was inaugurated in the presence of Prof Adolf F Mkenda, Minister of Education Science and Technology United Republic of Tanzania, Hon Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, India High Commissioner of The United Republic of Tanzania, Lela Mohamed Mussa, Minister of Education and Vocational Training-Zanzibar, Prof M S Ananth and Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, former Directors of IIT Madras, Prof Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of School of Engineering and Science, and Director-in-charge, Zanzibar campus, IIT Madras, faculty, students, staff and others.
The campus has been launched with the government's aim to take top quality education system of India to international arenas. The campus has been built in Bweleo district, located approximately 15 km south of Zanzibar town and is equipped with international amenities designed to meet the current needs of students. A permanent campus will be built soon jointly by the Government of Zanzibar and the Government of India.
The campus has been designed to accommodate students in dorms and provide various facilities such as offices, classrooms and auditoriums, dining and a dispensary. Besides this, sports facilities are being planned at the institute.
Speaking about the initiative, V Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras, said, "The programmes at IIT Madras Zanzibar are open to students of all nationalities, including Indians. Apart from a comprehensive curriculum that includes all aspects of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, students will have access to several interesting opportunities during their course of study. These include study abroad/semester exchange programmes with IIT Madras' partner institutions in the UK and Australia, among other countries, internships with various relevant companies and a chance to meet some of the course requirements at the IIT Madras campus in Chennai, India. Classes for the first academic year (2023-24) commenced in October 2023."
The Office of Global Engagement, IIT Madras, coordinated the student entrance process, which included a screening test developed by faculty experts at IIT Madras and an interview, as per the IITM Senate-approved admission process for international programmes.
