IIT Madras hosts delegation from Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and IIT Madras Research Park will be hosting the team from Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Tanzania from June 26 to June 29, 2023, to facilitate knowledge exchange and explore the best practices in entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems.

The nine-member team was led by Anthony Mshandete and Suzana Augustino, deputy vice-chancellors of NM-AIST.

The team learned about the IIT Madras' incubation centers, the management of donor-funded research projects, the efficient handling of incubator spaces, and the design of innovative working spaces, the institute said.

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The delegation also visited various bodies and centers at IIT Madras, including the IIT Madras Research Park, Nirmaan Pre-Incubator, Centre For Innovation (CFI), Gopalakrishnan Deshpande Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GDC), Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, and National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways, and Coasts.

Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean (Global Engagement) at IIT Madras said: “IIT Madras is engaging with Tanzania and Zanzibar through substantive educational initiatives. SevaralTanzainan/Zanzibar students are expected to join IIT Madras postgraduate degree programs this Fall. This visit is another example of how IIT Madras is engaging with Tanzania/Zanzibar in supporting the education/innovation ambitions of the region, while also learning from the visiting delegation.”

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Anthony Mshandete, deputy vice-chancellor - Academic, Research and Innovation at NM-AIST, Tanzania said: "Our visit to the campus has been very instrumental for us. We have learned how an idea can be commercialized or can be taken from the laboratory to the market. This is one of the key messages we have learned today."

The team will interact with other faculty members including IIT Madras director V Kamakoti; president of IIT Madras Research Park, Ashok Jhunjhunwala; professor and former director Bhaskar Ramamurthi; former director MS Ananth.