IIT-Madras' campus in Tanzania to be inaugurated in November: Education Minister Pradhan

I am told that IIT-Madras Zanzibar campus is scheduled to be inaugurated early next month, the minister said.This institute will prove to be a milestone in educational cooperation between two nations and continents by providing students from Tanzania and other African countries access to world-class engineering and technology education, which will help in nation-building and drive economic growth, technology, development and research and innovation in Africa, Pradhan added.

IIT-Madras' first offshore campus is set to be inaugurated in Tanzania's Zanzibar early next month, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday. The minister also said the Centre is encouraging top skill development institutions in India to go to Tanzania and other African countries. He said he will be visiting the African country for the pivotal role it is playing in promoting education.

Pradhan made the announcements at an event to confer on Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is on a four-day visit to India, an honorary doctorate by the Jawaharlal Nehru University. ''I am happy that the first offshore campus of any IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) is being set up in Zanzibar. I am told that IIT-Madras' Zanzibar campus is scheduled to be inaugurated early next month,'' the minister said.

''This institute will prove to be a milestone in educational cooperation between two nations and continents by providing students from Tanzania and other African countries access to world-class engineering and technology education, which will help in nation-building and drive economic growth, technology, development and research and innovation in Africa,'' Pradhan added. An MoU, signed in July between India and Tanzania, was the final procedural step that paved the way for the opening of the campus.

The institute will offer two full-time academic programmes -- a four-year Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and a two-year Master of Technology in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. ''Guided by our national education policy, India is actively contributing to deepen cooperation with our development partners in Africa. We are encouraging our best skill development institutions to go to Tanzania and other African countries. ''I will also be coming to Tanzania for this pivotal role in promoting the education agenda domestically and regionally through its national strategy for growth and poverty reduction,'' Pradhan said. IIT Madras' Zanzibar campus, has also become the first-ever IIT to have a woman director.

The total student intake will be 70, including 50 students for Bachelors and 20 for Masters courses. The fees will be USD 12,000 per year for the bachelors course while for the masters course, it will be USD 4,000 per year.

Several IITs have been receiving requests from the Middle-East and South Asian countries to set up their campuses. While IIT-Madras is setting up its campus in Tanzania, IIT-Delhi is setting up a campus in UAE. IIT campuses are also in the pipeline in Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia and the UK.

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