IIT Madras Zanzibar: Airtel Africa Foundation announces fellowship programme for UG students

It is designed to support students from 14 African countries, which are namely Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Niger, Chad, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar and Seychelles.

This fellowship aims to support deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar. This fellowship is undertaken to enhance educational opportunities for students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, enrolled at IIT M Zanzibar.

Recipients of this scholarship will be known as ‘Airtel Africa Fellows’, and will receive 100 per cent of their college fees i.e. approximately Rs 10 lakh (US$ 12,000) as per the course fee structure of the institute for a four-year programme.

Additionally, to cover the living expense cost, approximately Rs 41,988 (US$ 500) will be given to all eligible students. This initiative will aspire to transform, shape lives and nurture future leaders who will contribute to technological innovation and economic growth of Africa, claimed the press release.

IIT Madras’ first global campus was inaugurated in 2023, and is the first IIT to be a female-led IIT. Director-in-Charge of IIT Madras Zanzibar, Preeti Aghalayam, has taken charge of the first global IIT. The Zanzibar government is sponsoring the daily functioning of this campus, including the salaries of faculty members. The government has also sanctioned nearly 200 plus acres of land for the permanent campus of IIT Zanzibar.