IIT Madras-Zanzibar Campus: A New Era for Internationalization of Indian Education

IIT Madras Tanzania Campus: The Ministry of Education (MoE), the Government of India, and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT) in Zanzibar, Tanzania, signed an agreement on July 5, 2023. In collaboration with IIT Madras, their objective is to establish the first offshore campus of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Zanzibar, Tanzania. 

IIT Madras has scheduled the commencement of programs at the proposed campus in Tanzania in October 2023. The signing of the agreement took place in the presence of HE Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, and S Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs of India.

Check Out Official Tweet Here

#IITsGoGlobal!

Signing of MoU between @EduMinOfIndia, @iitmadras and MoEVT, Zanzibar-Tanzania for setting up of IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus marks a historic beginning towards internationalisation of Indian education.

The initiative is an embodiment of PM @narendramodi’s… pic.twitter.com/gQIirwZFUP

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 6, 2023

IIT in Tanzania: India and Africa Team Up to Promote Internationalization of Education

The official tweet of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reads, “Signing of MoU between EduMinOfIndia, IIT Madras and MoEVT, Zanzibar-Tanzania for setting up of IIT Madras-Zanzibar campus marks a historic beginning towards internationalisation of Indian education”

“The initiative is an embodiment of PM Narendra Modi’s commitment to strengthen South-South cooperation as well as forge stronger people-to-people ties with Africa. NEP is paving the way for making knowledge a key component of bilateral relations as well as for advancing global good,” it added.

New IIT Campus in Africa to Address Regional Needs

According to the official statement, this campus symbolizes the longstanding friendship between India and Tanzania, highlighting India's commitment to fostering people-to-people connections across Africa and the Global South. 

The statement further emphasized that this unique partnership will bring the renowned educational expertise of IITM to a significant location in Africa, addressing the region's current needs effectively. Additionally, the establishment of the new IIT campus abroad will facilitate deeper research collaborations with other globally renowned academic institutions.

IIT Madras to Develop Academic Programs for Offshore Campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania

IIT Madras will be responsible for developing the academic programs, curricula, student selection procedures, and pedagogical details for the new campus. On the other hand, the government of Zanzibar-Tanzania will provide the necessary funds for the capital and operating expenses.

According to the statement, students enrolled in this campus will be awarded degrees by IIT Madras. The interdisciplinary degrees offered will be at the forefront of innovation and are expected to attract a diverse cohort, including students from Africa and other nations. It is also noted that Indian students are eligible to apply for these programs.

IIT Madras Offshore Campus in Tanzania Enhances Education and Research with Diversity

The establishment of the offshore campus is expected to enrich the quality of education and research at IIT Madras, thanks to the increased diversity among students and faculty, according to the institute. The agreement was signed by Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, the High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, Raghunathan Rengaswamy, the Dean of Global Engagement at IIT Madras, and Khalid Masoud Wazir, the Acting Principal Secretary of MoEVT Zanzibar, representing their respective organizations. 

Earlier this year in February, a delegation of five professors from IIT Madras visited Tanzania to initiate discussions regarding the setup of an offshore campus in Africa.

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