IIT Madras establishes first international campus in Tanzania's Zanzibar

IIT Madras Zanzibar is not just a beacon of academic excellence, but a symbol of collaboration and partnership between nations to foster global knowledge exchange and empower future leaders in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

Zanzibar/Chennai:In a historic moment, Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, officially inaugurated the first-ever international campus of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), IIT Madras, in Tanzania's Zanzibar. The campus was inaugurated on a grand note on November 6 at the picturesque Zanzibar campus, attended by Tanzanian officials, Indian dignitaries, faculty and enthusiastic students.

IIT Madras Zanzibar is a testament to the Government of India's commitment to extending the high-quality Indian education system to international shores. The campus, located in the serene Bweleo district, approximately 15 km south of Zanzibar town, already boasts international-grade amenities to serve the initial student body. Plans for a permanent campus, to be developed jointly by the Governments of Zanzibar and India, are on the horizon.

This pioneering initiative commences with Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Technology (M Tech) programmes focused on Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The diverse student body in the inaugural batch comprises students from Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, Nepal and India with a significant milestone of 40 per cent women representation.

The campus has been meticulously designed to cater to students' needs, featuring dormitories, classrooms, auditoriums, dining facilities and even a dispensary. Plans include the development of sports facilities for students. Notable attendees at the inauguration ceremony included Adolf F Mkenda, Minister of Education Science and Technology, United Republic of Tanzania, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, India High Commissioner of The United Republic of Tanzania, Lela Mohamed Mussa, Minister of Education and Vocational Training-Zanzibar, as well as
MS Ananth and Bhaskar Ramamurthi, former Directors of IIT Madras and Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of the School of Engineering and Science, and Director-in-charge of Zanzibar campus, IIT Madras.

Speaking at the inauguration, Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of the School of Engineering and Science, expressed her gratitude and excitement, saying, "It has been an honour to bring IIT Madras's academic excellence to this beautiful island of Zanzibar. We have started on such a wonderful and positive note with a lovely campus and amazing students."

In addition, Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement) at IIT Madras, emphasised the significance of this campus, stating, "The start of this campus in Zanzibar is a landmark moment for IIT Madras. We are extremely grateful for the incredible support extended by the government and people of Zanzibar."

The campus will not only empower students with a comprehensive curriculum in Data Science and AI but also provide them with various international opportunities. These include study abroad and semester exchange programmes with IIT Madras' partner institutions in the UK and Australia, internships with relevant companies and the ability to meet some course requirements at the main IIT Madras campus in Chennai, India. The academic year 2023-24 commenced in October 2023, marking the beginning of a transformative educational journey.

IIT Madras Zanzibar is not just a beacon of academic excellence, but a symbol of collaboration and partnership between nations to foster global knowledge exchange and empower future leaders in the field of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.