First IIT campus outside India to be set up in Zanzibar

New Delhi: The first campus of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) outside India will be set up in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

An MoU for setting up the campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar-Tanzania was signed between India's Ministry of Education, IIT Madras and Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Zanzibar on Wednesday, in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Hussein Ali Mwinyi, president of Zanzibar.

"This campus is reflective of the longstanding friendship between India and Tanzania and a reminder of the focus India places on building people to people ties across Africa and the Global South," a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry said.

Jaishankar is currently on a four-day visit to Tanzania.

High cCommissioner of India to Tanzania Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean (global engagement) of IIT Madras and Khalid Masoud Wazir, acting principal secretary of the ministry of education and vocational training of Zanzibar-Tanzania, signed the MoU on behalf of government of India, IIT Madras and government of Zanzibar-Tanzania, respectively.

Recognising the strategic partnership between the Tanzania and India, the relationship of educational partnership has been formalised by signing the document which provides the framework for the parties to detail out the setting up of the proposed campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar-Tanzania, with plans to launch programmes in October 2023, the statement said.

"This unique partnership will bring the top-ranked educational expertise of IIT Madras to a prime destination in Africa and serve the imperative current needs of the region. The academic programmes, 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 statement added.

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 programmes.

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, official sources said.

"It will further serve to deepen research collaborations with other top-ranked academic institutions world-wide," the statement said.

"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. It will serve as an example to the world, of the aspirational qualities of Indian higher education and innovation."