Zanzibar hosts first convocation of IIT-Madras’ international campus
Lela Mohamed Mussa, Zanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training, presided as the chief guest and hailed the occasion as historic for both Zanzibar and Tanzania.
IIT Madras Zanzibar celebrated its maiden Degree distribution ceremony on July 11
CHENNAI: In a landmark moment for Indo-African educational collaboration, IIT Madras Zanzibar celebrated its maiden degree distribution ceremony recently, marking the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the MTech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (2023–2025).
“Held at the Bweleo campus, the ceremony embodied the spirit of ‘two campuses, one vision’, symbolising the shared commitment of India and Zanzibar to excellence, innovation, and cross-border academic cooperation,” a release from IIT-M read.
Out of 16 graduates, 9 received their degrees in person, while the remaining will be conferred degrees via post. “Earlier in the day, all graduates participated virtually in the 62nd convocation of IIT-Madras,” it stated.
Lela Mohamed Mussa, Zanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training, presided as the chief guest and hailed the occasion as historic for both Zanzibar and Tanzania. She lauded the efforts of President Hussein Ali Mwinyi and IIT-M in fostering a globally renowned institution.
Professor Preeti Aghalayam, director, IIT-M Zanzibar, commended the cohort for their resilience in completing a rigorous 190-credit curriculum and added, “This convocation not only marks the end of one journey but the beginning of a new chapter in global scientific cooperation.”
V Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M, noted the campus now houses 105 students from across Africa and South Asia, with over 30% women, and has delivered over 50 advanced courses. Graduate representative Ahmed Silima expressed deep gratitude and reaffirmed the cohort’s dedication to societal transformation.
