IIT Madras:On July 6, the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) abroad outside India will be set up in Zanzibar-Tanzania and for this a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the two countries. The Ministry of External Affairs gave this information on Thursday.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on July 5, 2023 between the Ministry of Education of India, IIT Madras and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Tanzania to set up a campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar-Tanzania, according to the statement of the ministry. The President of Zanzibar Dr. Hussain Ali Miwinyi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were present on the occasion.
Jaishankar tweeted after his meeting with the President of Zanzibar, “Delighted to meet Dr. Hussain Ali Mwini, President of Zanzibar”.
The new IIT campus will be set up in Zanzibar under the name of IIT Madras at Zanzibar. Zanzibar will be one of three campuses outside India, the others being located in Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur. For the first year, the institute will offer Data Science and Artificial Intelligence courses, though fees have not been decided at this point.
Zanzibar could be an interesting option given the presence of cities like Dar es Salaam. Zanzibar’s historical importance as a trade center or its current efforts to reposition itself as an international trade center may have influenced the decision. The Citizen reported that Zanzibar offers both the tranquility of a relatively small town, allowing students to focus on their studies and gaining access to the rich Swahili culture, which will enrich their experiences.
