UK university ties up with IIT Madras for Zanzibar student exchanges

LONDON: The University of Birmingham’s UK and Dubai campuses have partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to facilitate student exchanges with its new Zanzibar campus.

The partnership with IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus, the first IIT located outside India, will see outstanding scholars at undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral levels to do coursework and research at both Birmingham University campuses during their studies at IIT Madras Zanzibar.

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It will also involve “study abroad” opportunities for Zanzibar-based undergraduate students to spend up to a year at the University of Birmingham, gaining coursework credits that will count towards gaining their IIT Madras degree.

“Together with our new Joint Masters programme, this exciting new student exchange opportunity illustrates how the relationship between IIT Madras and the University of Birmingham is fast developing,” said Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International), University of Birmingham.

“We look forward to welcoming students from the new IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus to our beautiful, leafy Birmingham campus and our iconic Dubai facilities as more education and research collaborations emerge as our two universities work ever closer together,” he said.

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The agreement follows the universities’ founding of a Joint Masters programme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has just welcomed the first cohort of students earlier this week to Chennai. Birmingham University said its latest tie-up was clinched recently in the presence of union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan.

IIT Madras (IIT-M) Zanzibar opens its doors in October, with a first cohort of 50 undergraduate students and 20 Master’s students. In the first year, the institution will offer Data Science and Artificial Intelligence courses.