IIT Madras to start BS, M.Tech course from Zanzibar-Tanzania campus from Oct 2023

The institute will offer two full-time academic programs, a 4-year BS (Data Science and AI) & a 2-year Master of Technology in (Data Science and AI)

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has announced that it will commence it academic activity from Zanzibar-Tanzania campus from October this year and the admission process for the same has begun.

IIT Madras is the first IIT in the country to launch an international campus, which is coming up in Zanzibar-Tanzania. An MoU was recently signed between India and Tanzania. The first school is the School of Science and Engineering, which will host both the planned degrees for 2023-’24 academic year, a 4-year BS (Data Science and AI) and a 2-year Master of Technology in (Data Science and AI).

The total intake capacity will be 70, with 50 seats for BS programme and 20 seats for M.Tech course.

IIT Madras campus will be located in Zanzibar Island, off the East African mainland and is being planned as a unique and game-changing educational partnership between India and Zanzibar-Tanzania.

Faculty will be deputed from IIT Madras or recruited from India during the initial days of this campus. Activities to ensure local talent is developed and can be employed as faculty are underway already. The Government of India is offering numerous scholarships for citizens of Tanzania/Zanzibar to study in various degree programs at IIT Madras in Chennai, starting from July 2023.

Addressing a Press Conference Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “It is indeed a major milestone in this history of IIT Madras that we are establishing a Campus at Zanzibar. Through this, we look forward to active participation in the future higher education initiatives at Zanzibar.”

Entrance Process

The Office of Global Engagement, IIT Madras, will coordinate the student entrance process, which will include a screening test developed by faculty experts at IIT Madras and an interview, as per the IITM Senate-approved admission process for international students.

This campus will leverage the wide expertise of IIT Madras faculty in interdisciplinary education, research and technological innovation, and is on an accelerated plan of development and growth. With strong support from the local government, IITM Zanzibar is planned as a one-of-a-kind international campus.

Classes for the first Academic Year (2023-24) are scheduled to commence in October 2023, offering two full-time academic programs – 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. The total student intake will be 70. Applications for 2023 batch are currently open.

Elaborating on this new campus, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, said, “This is the most significant step forward in the internationalization efforts of IIT Madras. A detailed strategic plan that includes increasing the number of international students, fostering meaningful and synergistic joint degree programs with international academic institutions and enhancing faculty/student mobility has been laid out by us. Opportunities for a full-fledged physical campus abroad were being strongly explored and it is heartening to see the realization of these ambitions”

Highlighting the impact of this international campus, Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Dean of School of Science & Engineering & Director-in-charge, Zanzibar campus, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is proud to bring its deep and long-term education and research strengths to East Africa. The campus is planned in similar terms as Madras, with verdant natural surroundings, state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, research facilities, and innovation centres.”