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IIT-Hyderabad launches Centre for Creative Arts to integrate creativity with technology

Creative and liberal arts have been part of IIT Hyderabad’s academic structure for over a decade. The programme was formalised in 2014, beginning with heritage tours for first-year students and later expanding into credited courses.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 2, 2026 09:16 AM IST

The Centre for Creative Arts at IIT Hyderabad will promote research in the arts, including doctoral studies (Images via IIT-H)

The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) announced the launch of Centre for Creative Arts (CCA) on Thursday, January 1. According to an official statement, the Centre has been established within the Department of Liberal Arts and is aimed at integrating creative practices with technical and scientific education at the institute.

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Creative and liberal arts have been part of IIT Hyderabad’s academic structure for over a decade. The programme was formalised in 2014, beginning with heritage tours for first-year students and later expanding into credited courses. At present, nearly 10 per cent of the undergraduate curriculum includes liberal and creative arts components, covering areas such as photography, fine arts, performing arts, and crafts, according to the institute.

Courses and academic offerings

The Centre for Creative Arts will offer one to three credit courses in creative and performing arts for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Centre will also appoint performing artists as adjunct faculty and distinguished professors. Artist-in-Residence programmes are planned to allow sustained engagement between students and practitioners, while collaborations are expected to bring artistic perspectives into engineering, science, and design education.

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According to the official statement, the Centre will promote research in the arts, including doctoral studies. Visiting artists may serve as co-supervisors for research scholars, enabling a link between practice-based knowledge and academic research. The Centre also plans to collaborate with cultural organisations, including SPIC MACAY, to support academic and cultural activities on campus.

Outreach beyond the campus

The Centre will conduct outreach programmes for school students and art teachers. These initiatives are intended to encourage early exposure to different art forms and strengthen engagement between the institute and the wider community.

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While announcing the launch, Prof B S Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, said the Centre aligns with the institute’s approach of combining creativity, culture, and technology within higher education. Dr Aalok Khandekar, Head of the Department of Liberal Arts, noted that the Centre would expand existing creative arts programmes and support new course offerings and research collaborations, according to the official statement.