MEA announces first IIT campus outside India in Tanzania's Zanzibar

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on July 6 has confirmed that the first-ever campus of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) outside India will be established in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The announcement came as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on July 6 to set up a branch of IIT Madras in Zanzibar, a beautiful archipelago located off the East African coast.

The signing of the agreement took place in the presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and President Hussein Ali Mwinyi of Zanzibar, during Jaishankar's visit to Tanzania. This historic step strengthens the educational partnership between India and Tanzania while reflecting India's commitment to fostering people-to-people ties across Africa and the Global South.

The establishment of an IIT campus in Zanzibar marks a significant milestone in India's efforts to expand the influence and reach of its premier educational institutions. The move aligns with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages high-performing Indian universities to establish campuses abroad.

The MoU was signed between India's Ministry of Education, IIT Madras, and Tanzania's Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. It provides the framework for the parties involved to outline the setup of the proposed IIT Madras campus in Zanzibar, with plans to launch programs by October 2023.