Separator

IIT to set up its first-ever overseas campus abroad in Tanzania

Thursday, 06 July 2023, 10:57 IST
Separator
The first IIT campus to be set up outside India will be in Zanzibar, Tanzania. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar- Tanzania, has been signed by the Ministry of Education (MoE), IIT Madras and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) Zanzibar- Tanzania in with the presence of Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister.

This campus is a reminder of the focus India places on building people-to-people ties across Africa and the Global South. Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, High Commissioner of India, Tanzania, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, and Mr. Khalid Masoud Wazir, Acting Principal Secretary, MoEVT Zanzibar, signed the MoU on behalf of MoE, India, IIT Madras and MoEVT Zanzibar- Tanzania, respectively.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 focuses on Internationalization and recommends that "High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries”. Recognizing the strategic partnership between Tanzania and India, the relationship of educational partnership has been formalized by signing the document which provides the framework for the Parties to detail the setting up of the proposed campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar- Tanzania, with plans to launch programs in October 2023, according to an MEA statement.

This unique partnership will bring the top-ranked educational expertise of IITM to a prime destination in Africa and serve the imperative current needs of the region. The academic programs, curricula, student selection aspects and pedagogical details will be by IIT Madras, whereas the capital and operating expenditure will be met by the government of Zanzibar-Tanzania. IIT Madras degrees will be awarded to the students enrolled in this campus. The state-of-the-art interdisciplinary degrees are expected to attract a diverse cohort and will include students from Africa and other countries as well. Indian students are also eligible to apply to these programs, according to a MEA statement.

The setting up of IIT Campus shall also enhance India’s reputation globally and its diplomatic relationships and expand the international footprint of IIT Madras. It is also likely to enhance the quality of IIT Madras education and research further due to student and faculty diversity from the international campus. It will further serve to deepen research collaborations with other top-ranked academic institutions worldwide. IIT campus in Zanzibar- Tanzania, is envisioned as a world-class higher education and research institution with a broader mission to develop competencies in response to emerging global requirements, deepen ties between the nations, and support research and innovation in the region.