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IIT Madras Alumna Takes Helm of Institute's Inaugural Zanzibar Campus

Preeti Aghalayam, an alumna of IIT Madras, has assumed the role of Director-in-Charge at IIT Madras Zanzibar, marking a significant milestone as the premier institution establishes its first international campus.

LSN India · 27 September 2026

Preeti Aghalayam has been appointed Director-in-Charge of IIT Madras Zanzibar, the Indian Institute of Technology's maiden foray into establishing an academic facility outside the country. The appointment underscores the institute's confidence in leveraging internal talent to lead its international expansion efforts.

Aghalayam's appointment reflects her institutional understanding and demonstrated capabilities, having progressed through IIT Madras as an alumna. Her elevation to lead the Zanzibar campus positions her at the helm of a strategic initiative aimed at extending the institute's academic excellence and research prowess to East Africa.

The establishment of IIT Madras Zanzibar represents a broader institutional strategy to enhance India's educational footprint in the region. The campus is designed to offer academic programmes and facilitate research collaborations that will benefit students and institutions across South and Southeast Asia, as well as the African continent.

IIT Madras, consistently ranked among India's premier engineering institutions, has expanded its academic and research contributions significantly in recent years. The Zanzibar campus is expected to serve as a hub for international academic exchange and technological innovation, building on the institute's reputation for cutting-edge education and research.