MoU inked for IIT-Madras campus in Tanzania
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, currently visiting Tanzania, described the move as a “historic step” that reflected India’s commitment to the Global South.
NEW DELHI: The first IIT campus outside India will come up in Tanzania’s Zanzibar and it is expected to launch academic programmes in October, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. IIT Madras degrees will be awarded to the students enrolled in this campus.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, currently visiting Tanzania, described the move as a “historic step” that reflected India’s commitment to the Global South.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for setting up of the campus of IIT-Madras in Zanzibar, which is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa.
The MEA said the IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) 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. The MoU was inked on Wednesday in presence of Jaishankar and Zanzibar’s President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. It said the “unique partner-ship” will bring the top-ranked educational expertise of IIT Madras to a prime destination in Africa and serve the 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,” it said.
“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 MEA said.
“The setting up of the IIT campus shall also enhance India’s reputation globally and its diplomatic relationships and expand the international footprint of IIT Madras,” it said.
