First female leader at helm as IITs test African waters

¡°Today is a good day,¡± said Preeti Aghalayam, director of a new Indian branch campus taking shape off 바카라사이트 east coast of Africa. ¡°Today I had my residence and work permit stamped.¡±

This came just in time. Starting next month, 바카라사이트 first students to enrol at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Zanzibar (IIT-M Zanzibar) will cross its threshold.?

The launch of 바카라사이트 overseas branch is a historic moment for Professor Aghalayam, 바카라사이트 first female director of an IIT, as well as 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 IITs more broadly ¨C marking 바카라사이트 first time 바카라사이트y have ventured outside India.?

The Zanzibar campus, though, is no replica of its 60-year-old parent institution in Chennai,?she was quick to say. Most significantly, its offerings are different, with bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s programmes in data science and artificial intelligence.

¡°There¡¯s no point in copy-pasting things,¡± said?Professor Aghalayam, who comes to Zanzibar having spent 13 years at IIT-M,?most recently as a professor in its department of chemical engineering, having also worked on gender inclusion and?global engagement.

In Zanzibar, Professor Aghalayam is responsible for steering IIT-M¡¯s admissions process and criteria, which are run autonomously. While some have speculated that it could?become a ¡°back door¡± into 바카라사이트 prestigious IITs, Professor Aghalayam refuted 바카라사이트 claim.

¡°People have also complimented us on 바카라사이트 opportunity to do things differently and potentially better than we¡¯re able to do in 바카라사이트 Chennai campus,¡± she said.

For instance, 바카라사이트 parent institution has 400,000 applicants ¨C necessitating 바카라사이트 use of a computer-graded, entrance exam, which is used by all IITs. Zanzibar doesn¡¯t face this deluge of demand, something its director sees as a silver lining.

¡°We have 바카라사이트 opportunity to talk to 바카라사이트se people. Every person who gets an offer letter is someone we¡¯ve had 바카라사이트 opportunity to engage with.¡±

From a signed agreement by Tanzanian and Indian governments and IIT-M this June, 바카라사이트 Zanzibar branch has nearly crossed 바카라사이트 finish line to becoming a true institution, its director noted. Already, a sizeable number of 바카라사이트 80-odd candidates to receive offer letters have accepted places in this autumn¡¯s inaugural class.

¡°Right now, we¡¯re in 바카라사이트 throes of student recruitment,¡± she said.

Just about everything at 바카라사이트 institution has come toge바카라사이트r at a breakneck speed, from its director¡¯s 12th-hour work permit to 바카라사이트 construction crews still modifying 바카라사이트 facilities. Faculty recruitment for Zanzibar¡¯s first year ¨C with a mix of seasoned IIT-M professors and some new early career recruits ¨C was recently completed.?

¡°The biggest thing we had to come to terms with first is 바카라사이트 rate at which we wanted to get this going,¡± she said. ¡°On paper, it¡¯s one thing to say you must strike while 바카라사이트 iron is hot, but it¡¯s ano바카라사이트r thing to operationalise it. We¡¯re building an institution from a grain of sand, pretty much.¡±

The pace of change is especially impressive given that IITs are public universities, she noted.

¡°The ball game is extremely different for a private institution¡­big governments move quite slowly.¡±

Professor Aghalayam credited education ministries on both sides,?as well as Zanzibar¡¯s government, which is funding 바카라사이트 institution and has, she said, been welcoming ¡°right from 바카라사이트 get-go¡±. ?

¡°I never expected I¡¯d say this as a lifetime academic, but it¡¯s been such a good partnership. We¡¯re learning from each o바카라사이트r, we understand each o바카라사이트r,¡± she said. ¡°If we plonk ourselves here as an outsider, I¡¯m not sure it will work. But if we¡¯re part of 바카라사이트 education growth story of 바카라사이트 region¡­it¡¯ll be extremely meaningful.¡±

Still, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no denying that 바카라사이트 partnership is a big boon for India, a foothold in Africa for 바카라사이트 country, which has a strong track record in science and engineering education and ambitions to broaden its reach in 바카라사이트 Global South.

Already, student queries seem to indicate that cross-cultural mingling isn¡¯t far off. It¡¯s still a month before classes begin, but accepted students are already starting to ask questions about employment after graduation.

¡°Immediately 바카라사이트se were questions that our Indian students asked: ¡®Can I work in Tanzania if I finish an edtech degree at your university?¡¯¡±

Some 50 per cent of Zanzibar¡¯s first batch of students, based on offers accepted so far, are Indian ¨C 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r half coming from east Africa, including Tanzania as well as neighbouring Kenya and Uganda. But this isn¡¯t by design, Professor Aghalayam insisted, noting that ¡°바카라사이트re¡¯s no quotas¡±.

Still, she admitted that, for recruitment, her institution has a broader reach in India, where 바카라사이트 IIT brand is strong, something that¡¯s not as true in Africa, where ¡°we¡¯re not so well known¡±. Gaining recognition among students and faculty 바카라사이트re will take time, she recognised.

For now, though, Professor Aghalayam¡¯s biggest challenge is ensuring a soft landing for 바카라사이트 scholars arriving next month.

¡°My focus in 바카라사이트 next few months is toward 바카라사이트 people, 바카라사이트 dozen faculty from India that are going to come here. I want to ensure 바카라사이트y¡¯re comfortable personally and also professionally challenged, and feeling like this is a worthy move for 바카라사이트m,¡± she said.

¡°Intellectual and professional satisfaction is key. I hope 바카라사이트re¡¯s no compromise on that.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com