Best Place To BuildProf. Preeti Aghalayam|"Sometimes it feels like living in a National Geographic documentary."| Ep.19
CHAPTERS
Why IIT Madras is building a physical campus in Zanzibar
Professor Preeti Aghalayam frames IITM Zanzibar as a major step in IIT Madras’ internationalization journey—far beyond exchanges or collaborations. She explains why an offshore, degree-granting campus requires trust, autonomy, and strong governmental alignment to protect the IIT brand while enabling local operations.
- •Internationalization vs. creating a full physical campus abroad
- •Importance of India–Zanzibar bilateral relationship and government backing
- •Risks and requirements around autonomy, recognition, and brand expectations
- •Building everything from scratch: people, processes, facilities, academics
From idea to launch in record time: MoU to first day of class
The conversation highlights the unusually compressed execution timeline. Preeti lays out the sequence—from exploratory visit to signing the tripartite MoU—then opening applications and starting classes within months, emphasizing the coordination and effort required to make it real.
- •Feb 2023 exploratory visit by IITM faculty team
- •July 2023 tripartite MoU (India, Zanzibar, IITM)
- •Applications opened immediately; classes began Oct 24, 2023
- •Standing up hostels, dining, faculty, curriculum, and admissions rapidly
Programs offered and how new disciplines are chosen
Preeti details the initial academic portfolio centered on Data Science/AI and the later addition of Ocean Structures, reflecting the island context and regional relevance. She also previews a potential BS in Chemical/Process Engineering, emphasizing careful internal checks before launch.
- •BS (4-year) in Data Science & AI and MTech (2-year) in Data Science & AI
- •MTech in Ocean Structures introduced in 2024
- •Planned expansion: BS in Chemical/Process Engineering (under consideration)
- •Program choice shaped by Zanzibar, East Africa, and global needs
What ‘international campus’ means in practice: students, faculty, and geography
IITM Zanzibar is positioned as international from day one—open to all nationalities for both students and faculty. Preeti shares early demographics and explains why ‘international’ can be defined multiple ways (non-Zanzibari vs. non-Indian), with current numbers around ~50% depending on definition.
- •Open applications for all nationalities; intent to become a global ‘melting pot’
- •Early student representation: Tanzania/Zanzibar, Kenya, Zambia, India, Middle East, Nepal
- •Current scale: ~105 students and ~10–12 faculty
- •Faculty composition currently mostly deputed from IITM; expected to diversify over time
The ‘IITM Zanzibar family’: designing community on a small campus
With a small cohort, the campus deliberately builds a shared, family-like culture where faculty, staff, and students participate together. Preeti contrasts this with the scale-driven separation on large campuses and describes how proximity increases student access to faculty and leadership.
- •Community as a core institutional ‘DNA’ from day one
- •Shared activities (e.g., cycling trips) involving faculty, staff, students
- •Higher faculty accessibility (dining together, leadership in the mess)
- •Small size enables everyone to know each other personally
Campus vibe: island calm + IIT rigor + student innovation
Preeti paints a blended culture: Zanzibar’s relaxed island atmosphere coexists with IIT Madras academic intensity. She notes strong early signals of entrepreneurship and hackathon participation, suggesting IITM’s innovation ethos is transferring successfully despite the campus’ early stage.
- •Island ‘chill vibe’ balanced with IIT academic rigor
- •Entrepreneurship/creativity as a recognizable IITM student trait
- •Active participation in hackathons (online and local)
- •Small-but-mighty culture: close-knit yet ambitious
Student showcase: ‘The Power of Data’ and early proof of innovation
To test whether the innovation mindset is taking root, the campus runs a fast-paced student showcase event. Preeti describes the format and outcomes, including strong participation from first-year students and external validation from industry/officials who offered funding interest.
- •Showcase event titled ‘The Power of Data’ for DS/AI-heavy cohort
- •35+ student presenters; 3-minute talks with strict timing
- •Notable ideas: inclusive edtech for learning disabilities; tourism experience improvements
- •Audience from corporate/ministry/academia; at least one funding invitation
Life and facilities: transit campus, permanent campus land, and outreach
Using photos as prompts, Preeti explains the transit campus layout and the attention to infrastructure standards. She also describes multilingual inclusion, cultural celebrations, school visits, and outreach—critical for integrating a new institution into the local ecosystem.
- •Transit campus (~4.5 acres): classrooms, admin, hostels, dining, auditorium
- •Permanent campus: ~200 acres, ~3 km away; run events to the site
- •Multilingual environment (Swahili, Arabic, multiple Indian languages, more)
- •Heavy school outreach and local engagement (hundreds of schoolchildren reached)
Zanzibar’s natural context: ocean proximity, diaspora ties, and ‘National Geographic’ moments
The conversation shifts to place-based experience: the blue skies, beaches, nearby wildlife parks, and a sense of daily proximity to extraordinary nature. Preeti also mentions historical Indian diaspora communities in Zanzibar rooted in seafaring trade, adding cultural depth to the campus setting.
- •Campus near beaches; ocean is omnipresent on the island
- •Wildlife access via mainland Tanzania (Serengeti, Ngorongoro)
- •Living abroad can feel like a nature documentary experience
- •Indian diaspora presence in Zanzibar (notably Gujarati trading history)
Operating realities: humility, infrastructure constraints, and building trust locally
Preeti discusses the ‘startup-like’ nervous energy of building something new and the need to balance IIT confidence with local realities—where the IIT brand may not be widely known. They address practical differences (costs, logistics, infrastructure) and the importance of not assuming Indian contexts apply abroad.
- •Early-stage intensity resembles startup building dynamics
- •Local awareness of IIT brand can be limited; trust must be earned
- •Infrastructure and logistics can be harder/costlier (e.g., island cabling)
- •Solving basics on campus (Wi-Fi) becomes a major value for visitors/students
Admissions, screening test, and interviews: how selection works
Preeti provides a clear end-to-end view of the admissions process for undergraduates. The process includes eligibility across global boards, an in-person screening test across many international centers, and short online interviews to understand readiness and motivation.
- •Eligibility: 12th-standard equivalent worldwide (CBSE/ICSE/IB/NECTA etc.)
- •Online application with mark sheets; students in final year can apply
- •3-hour screening test: math-heavy + physics/chemistry + mental ability + English
- •~40 global test centers (Africa, India, Middle East) and follow-up interviews
Preparation and confidence: avoiding a coaching culture while addressing self-doubt
The campus hasn’t yet spawned formal coaching ecosystems like India’s, but Preeti identifies confidence as the biggest barrier for many applicants. IITM students are being engaged to support applicants, especially in regions less accustomed to high-stakes standardized tests.
- •No major ‘coaching center’ ecosystem yet for the Zanzibar screening test
- •Self-doubt and unfamiliarity with testing is a key hurdle
- •Support initiatives: current IITM students helping applicants online
- •Encouragement to prepare enough to build confidence and test readiness
Governance model: IITM academic control + local legal/financial structure
Because this is a first-of-its-kind IIT offshore campus, governance is built around a tripartite MoU and a hybrid structure. Academics (degrees, curricula, admissions) remain under IIT Madras senate approval, while the campus is registered locally and overseen by a joint governing council with members from both sides.
- •Only two offshore IIT campuses: IITM Zanzibar and IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi
- •IITM degrees granted; curriculum and admissions senate-approved at IITM Chennai
- •Registered as a cross-border institution under Zanzibar’s local laws
- •Governing council with IITM and Zanzibar nominees; finances/accounts maintained in Zanzibar
5–10 year vision: research, entrepreneurship, skilling, and ‘small but mighty’ impact
Preeti outlines an ambition to mirror IIT Madras’ strategic strengths—research translation, entrepreneurship, and scalable impact—adapted to African opportunities. She highlights Africa’s youth bulge as both an opportunity and responsibility, and emphasizes expanding interdisciplinary education and professional skilling programs.
- •Goal: mirror IITM’s research park/innovation ecosystem in Zanzibar
- •Tackle regional and global challenges, not just local Zanzibar needs
- •Interdisciplinary curriculum with AI/ML/data cross-cutting across fields
- •Scale professional certificate and skilling programs to meet large regional demand
Chemical engineering: what it is, why it’s versatile, and what research looks like
Responding to common student/parent questions, Preeti distinguishes chemical engineering from chemistry and addresses misconceptions about suitability for women. She explains the field’s broad industrial relevance and shares her own research trajectory in reaction engineering, combustion-related systems, emissions, and CO₂ capture.
- •Chemical engineering as broad process/design discipline (not ‘test tubes’)
- •Industry connections: materials, pharma, energy, oil & gas, emissions control
- •Research areas: reaction engineering, underground coal gasification, soot/carbon black, CO₂ capture
- •Discussion of gender myths and changing representation in the field
Teaching innovation and academic culture: games in classrooms, research skills, and gender equity
Preeti describes efforts to make engineering education more engaging through a ‘Play to Learn’ elective where students design learning games. She also explains a research-skills course for international programs and reflects on how AI tools change literature work. The chapter closes with a data-driven discussion on gender ratios in students and faculty, and institutional approaches to improving representation.
- •‘Play to Learn’: student-designed board/card/digital games for technical topics
- •Research skills course: literature search, evaluating sources, structuring problems/methods
- •AI tools improve efficiency but don’t replace deep reading and synthesis
- •Gender ratio discussion: stronger numbers in PhD scholars; faculty pipeline and policy reflection via GATI program
Personal side: academic journeys, running as meditation, and the laptop-sticker personality tour
Preeti compares cultures across IITM, IITB, Rochester, and MIT—highlighting Nobel-laureate legacy at MIT and the distinctive ‘hunger’ of IIT students. She shares how running evolved from sprinting to marathons and functions as reflection and resilience for leadership. The episode ends with a light conversation about her chemistry-themed laptop stickers and encouragement to younger IITians to find brave, individual paths.
- •Institutional contrasts: MIT inspiration, IIT student energy and classroom challenge
- •Running journey: from school sprints to marathons; reflective/meditative benefits
- •Travel experiences through races (India and abroad)
- •Stickers: chemistry humor and identity; closing advice on carving one’s own path
