IIT to open first overseas campus in Tanzania's Zanzibar
What's the story
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday announced that Tanzania's Zanzibar will become home to the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus outside India. The deal was signed in the presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. Notably, Jaishankar is on a four-day official visit to Tanzania.
Twitter Post
Jaishankar's Twitter post
Witnessed the signing of the agreement on setting up of @iitmadras Zanzibar campus.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 5, 2023
Appreciate President @DrHmwinyi gracing the occasion, as also the presence of his Ministers.
This historic step reflects India’s commitment to the Global South. pic.twitter.com/X3vdnICnSE
Details
Campus reflective of longstanding friendship between India, Tanzania: MEA
According to the MEA, IIT Madras will establish its campus in Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. "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," the MEA stated.
More details
Operations at Zanzibar's IIT to begin in October
The MEA further said the courses are expected to be launched at Zanzibar's IIT in October 2023. Moreover, 50 undergraduate students and 20 postgraduate students would be initially admitted to the institute. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that "high-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries," the ministry added.
Further information
2 more IITs will be established overseas
Reportedly, Zanzibar will be one of three IIT campuses outside India, with the other two located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. To note, India shares a close relationship with Tanzania. Earlier this year, both countries attended the second edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting, which was held in Arusha on June 28 and 29.