Prof. Preeti Aghalayam|"Sometimes it feels like living in a National Geographic documentary."| Ep.19

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

April 4, 2025

Duration

1h 28m

Channel

Best Place To Build

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

In this fascinating episode, you'll meet Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, the FIRST woman director of any IIT campus, who's creating something extraordinary in Zanzibar! Watch the full episode to discover:

• How they built an entire IIT campus in just over a year (spoiler: it involves blessings, luck, and probably some sleepless nights!)
• The sense of community at the IITMZ campus where students, professors, and staff eat together, go on cycling trips, beach explorations and treks together
• How they're balancing "Zanzibar chill vibes" with IIT Madras's academic intensity

00:00 Introduction to IITM Zanzibar 01:03 Welcome to the Best Place to Build Podcast 01:06 Interview with Professor Preeti: Founding Director of IIT Madras Zanzibar 01:38 Steps to Establishing a New IIT Campus 05:23 Rapid Progress: From Agreement to First Day of Classes 07:00 Curriculum and Courses Offered at IIT Madras Zanzibar 08:58 International Campus and Student Demographics 12:36 Community and Campus Life at Zanzibar 13:29 Building a Sense of Community 20:17 Student Showcase Event: The Power of Data 22:36 Campus Facilities and Outreach Activities 32:57 Challenges and Opportunities in Zanzibar 35:26 Admissions Process and Eligibility 41:11 Screening Test and Application Details 41:47 Global Reach of IITM Zanzibar 41:54 Screening Test and Interviews 42:58 Addressing Self-Doubt in Test Preparation 44:18 Governance of IITM Zanzibar 49:06 Vision for IITM Zanzibar's Future 55:55 Chemical Engineering: A Versatile Field 01:01:50 Research Areas in Chemical Engineering 01:03:08 Innovative Teaching Methods 01:09:43 Gender Ratio in Academia 01:17:59 Reflecting on Academic Experiences 01:22:53 Running: A Passion and a Meditation 01:26:11 Laptop Stickers: A Peek into Personality 01:27:50 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement 🔥 EXCITING NEWS: ADMISSIONS NOW OPEN for 2025! 🔥

• BS in Data Science & AI
• MTech in Data Science & AI
• MTech in Ocean Structures
• PhD Programs

Here is the link to the gallery of pictures Prof Preeti shares in the episode- https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fNUDjnKWG_pjFj-ssOUWBDDddXkwwkgd?usp=sharing Enquire: admissions@iitmz.ac.in WhatsApp: +91 9600685899

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Preeti Aghalayam

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Preeti Aghalayam, Prof. Preeti Aghalayam|"Sometimes it feels like living in a National Geographic documentary."| Ep.19 explores building IIT Madras Zanzibar: fast launch, global campus, community-first vision Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Founding Director of IIT Madras Zanzibar and the first woman director of any IIT campus, describes what it took to establish IITM’s first offshore physical campus in record time—from a Feb 2023 visit to the first day of classes on 24 Oct 2023. She outlines the core building blocks: intergovernmental alignment, program/curriculum design, student selection, faculty staffing, and creating facilities and operations from scratch.

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