First IIT Madras Campus Outside India Will be Set up in Tanzania’s Zanzibar, MoU Signed

The first IIT campus outside India will come up in Tanzania’s Zanzibar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for the setting up of a campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar, which is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. “The first IIT campus to be set up outside India will be in Zanzibar,” the MEA said adding that an MoU has been signed between India’s education ministry, IIT Madras, and Zanzibar’s ministry of education and vocational training. The programme will be launched on this campus in October.

During the MoU signing on July 5, 2023, the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwini, and the External Affairs Minister of India, Dr SK Jaishankar were present. This campus reflects the long-standing friendship between India and Tanzania, MEA said. “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,” MEA said.

It further stated that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that “high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries.”

“Recognising the strategic partnership between 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 MEA said.

Indian students at the Zanzibar-Tanzania campus of IIT Madras can also apply. The academic programme, curriculum, selection of students, and academic details will be done by IIT Madras while the capital and operational expenses will be borne by the Zanzibar-Tanzania government. IIT Madras degree will be awarded to the students enrolled on this campus. The cutting-edge interdisciplinary degrees are expected to attract a diverse group and will include students from Africa and other countries.

— with inputs from PTI