IIT Madras Zanzibar holds first degree distribution ceremony, 16 students graduate | Education News

According to a statement from the institutes, a total of 16 students were part of the first graduating class, with nine receiving their degrees in person in Zanzibar and the remaining graduates set to receive their certificates by mail. Earlier the same day, all graduating students participated virtually in the 62nd Convocation Ceremony of IIT Madras, held at the institute’s main campus in Chennai.

IIT Madras Zanzibar Campus students with dignitaries during the first degree distribution ceremony

The event was attended by senior officials from the Government of Zanzibar and IIT Madras. Zanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training, Mohamed Lela Mussa, served as the chief guest. According to a statement, the chief guest recognised the institute’s role in advancing international cooperation in education and and the academic collaboration between India and Zanzibar. Prof Mohammed Sheikh, Chair of the IIT Madras Zanzibar Governing Council, encouraged the graduating students to act as ambassadors for the collaborative efforts between the two regions.

As per data shared by the institutes, as of July 2025, the IIT Madras Zanzibar campus houses a total of 105 students enrolled across three programmes: the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (BS DSAI), the MTech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MTech DSAI), and the MTech in Ocean Structures. These programmes were launched in October 2024 as part of the institute’s academic expansion. Approximately 30 per cent of the current student population are women, and students hail from India, Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, and Nepal.