The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is all set to create history by establishing its first international campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania, Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, said on July 10.
Speaking to ANI, Kamakoti said, “It is indeed a major milestone in this history of IIT Madras that we are establishing a Campus at Zanzibar. Through this, we look forward to active participation in the future higher education initiatives at Zanzibar.” Recently, an MoU was recently signed between India and Tanzania, the final procedural step that paves the way for this campus.
Giving details about the campus and courses that will be offered in the Zanzibar campus, Kamakoti said, “The Zanzibar Campus will offer two full-time academic programs initially including a 4-year BS (Data Science and AI) & a 2-year Master of Technology in (Data Science and AI) with a total student intake of 70.”
Kamakoti further stated that the Permanent campus would be spread across 200 acres on Zanzibar Island, with the Master plan being developed by IIT Madras experts. The admission process for the first Academic Year of 2023-24 has commenced, and the classes are scheduled to start from October 2023
The faculty strength will be based on the required teaching expertise and the quality assurances of IIT Madras, including but not limited to maintaining robust faculty-student ratios.
“IIT Madras will coordinate the student entrance process, which will include a screening test developed by faculty experts at IIT Madras and an interview, as per the IITM Senate-approved admission process for international students,” Director IIT Madras added.
Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of the School of Science & Engineering & Director-in-charge, Zanzibar campus, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is proud to bring its deep and long-term education and research strengths to East Africa. The campus is planned in similar terms as Madras, with verdant natural surroundings, state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, research facilities, and innovation centres.”
Zanzibar Campus, IIT Madras will be located on Zanzibar Island, off the East African mainland and is being planned as a unique and game-changing educational partnership between India and Zanzibar-Tanzania.
Faculty will be deputed from IIT Madras or recruited from India during the initial days of this campus. Activities to ensure local talent is developed and can be employed as faculty are underway already.
The Government of India is offering numerous Scholarships for citizens of Tanzania/Zanzibar to study in various degree programs at IIT Madras in Chennai, starting from July 2023.
This campus will leverage the wide expertise of IIT Madras faculty in interdisciplinary education, research and technological innovation, and is on an accelerated plan of development and growth. With strong support from the local Government, IITM Zanzibar is planned as a one-of-a-kind international campus.
Elaborating on this new campus, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, said, “This is the most significant step forward in the internationalisation efforts of IIT Madras. A detailed strategic plan that includes increasing the number of international students, fostering meaningful and synergistic joint degree programs with international academic institutions and enhancing faculty/student mobility has been laid out by us. Opportunities for a full-fledged physical campus abroad were being strongly explored and it is heartening to see the realisation of these ambitions.”
Earlier on July 6, a memorandum was signed between the Government of India, IIT-M, and the Government of Tanzania for the setting up of an IIT campus there. A press release by the Ministry of Education said that the “internationalisation of education” is part of the National Education Policy 2020.
“National Education Policy 2020 focuses on internationalisation and recommends that ‘high performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries’,” said the press release.
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