IIT Hyderabad launches centre for creative arts to integrate creativity with technical education

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) has launched the Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) to strengthen creative and interdisciplinary learning for its students. The centre, established under the Department of Liberal Arts, will offer courses, research opportunities, and outreach programmes in various art forms, including Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Photography, and Crafts.

The institute states that the CCA is designed to provide 1–3 credit courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students and will host performing artists as adjunct faculty and visiting distinguished professors. It will also run artist-in-residence programmes and collaborations that integrate artistic perspectives into engineering, science, and design education.

In addition to academic offerings, the CCA will conduct outreach programmes for school students and art teachers to promote early engagement with diverse art forms.

Research initiatives at the centre will support doctoral studies, with visiting artists potentially serving as co-supervisors. Collaborations with organisations such as SPIC MACAY are planned to enhance cultural engagement on campus.

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IITH: Programme expands liberal and creative arts

As per the official press release, the launch builds on IITH’s liberal and creative Arts programme, formalised in 2014, which currently accounts for nearly 10% of the undergraduate curriculum. The programme evolved from heritage tours for first-year students into credited courses spanning multiple art forms, aiming to complement technical education with interdisciplinary and socially informed perspectives.

IITH director BS Murty said the centre reflects the institute’s approach to integrating creativity, culture, and technology to develop technologists capable of innovation. “In addition, creative arts activate right-brain activity, encouraging intuitive thinking, which is essential for innovations,” he said.

Aalok Khandekar, head of department of liberal arts, said: “The establishment of the Centre for Creative Arts will enable us to further build the creative arts program that has been part of our department since its inception. We are excited to host leading artists through the CCA, creating exciting possibilities for new course offerings and research collaborations.”

The institute further states that through the centre for creative arts, IITH intends to foster an environment where art and technology intersect, providing students with opportunities to develop multidimensional thinking alongside technical expertise.