India's No. 1 Institute, IIT Madras, celebrates 63rd Convocation with His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council

What the report says

PRNewswire, citing IIT Madras, reported that the Indian Institute of Technology Madras held its 63rd Convocation in Chennai with Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi as chief guest. The ceremony, held on 17 July 2026 according to the release captions, saw 3,518 degrees conferred on 3,106 graduates, including 511 PhDs.

The event also included the unveiling of the layout for IIT Madras Zanzibar, described in the release as India’s first international IIT campus. IIT Madras said the permanent campus is planned for 200 acres in the Fumba peninsula and is being designed to include academic facilities, student and faculty housing, and spaces for innovation, sport and startups.

According to the release, Mwinyi framed the partnership as part of a broader effort to expand access to knowledge beyond national borders, while also telling graduates that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and quantum systems require responsible human choices. IIT Madras Board of Governors Chairman Pawan Goenka linked the president’s presence to education and innovation as long-term development priorities.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the Zanzibar campus currently has 130 students from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and India. He also reported full industrial placement for the first M.Tech. cohort and said enrolment is expected to grow to 350–500 students by 2027. The release also noted the IITM Global Foundation, presented as part of the institute’s ambition to develop a multinational university model.