The Indian Institute of Technology - Madras (IIT-Madras) and IIT Madras Research Park are hosting a delegation from Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania, from 26th to 29th June 2023.
A nine-member delegation including Prof. Anthony Mshandete and Prof. Suzana Augustino, Deputy Vice Chancellors of NM-AIS, interacted with various faculty members and organizations of IIT Madras as part of this educational and capacity-building tour.
According to the official release, the visit by the Tanzanian delegation aims to explore and learn from IIT Madras’ experiences and best practices in fostering entrepreneurship, supporting the growth of startup ecosystems and addressing specific challenges, while also understanding its incubator spaces and research works.
Welcoming the NM-AIST delegation, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is engaging with Tanzania and Zanzibar through substantive educational initiatives. Sevaral Tanzainan/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. ”
The Delegation will be meeting several IIT Madras faculty including Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, President, IIT Madras Research Park, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Institute Professor and former Director, Prof. M.S. Ananth, former Director, Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), Prof. Ligy Philip, Dean (Planning), and Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Head, Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation, among others.
Speaking about the visit of IIT Madras, Prof. Anthony Mshandete, Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic, Research and Innovation, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (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 learnt today.”
Further, Prof. Suzana Augustino, Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Planning, Finance and Administration, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania, said, “This team has been supported by the HEET (Higher Education for Economic Transformation) Project supported by World Bank through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in Tanzania. It is meant to transform higher learning institutions economically. This has been an opportunity as this project aims to transform our institute economically in terms of commercializing the innovations coming from our students and faculty."
