IIT-Madras plans to set up campus here

Officials of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) will visit Sri Lanka in February to begin the process to set up a branch of its campus here.

According to plans, IIT-Madras will first set up a branch of its tech university next year.

The decision follows a recent meeting between Education Minister Susil Premajayantha and IIT-Madras. It was facilitated by Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, Dr D Venkateshwaran.

The meeting was a follow-up to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s invitation to the IIT-Madras to set up a branch here.

Minister Premajayantha told the Sunday Times that a Sri Lankan delegation would visit IIT-Madras in January, ahead of the IIT's visit to Sri Lanka.

He said the IIT-Madras team would present a report to the University Grants Commission outlining its courses, initiating the process of establishing the campus branch here.

Minister Premajayantha said the campus was likely to be set up in Kandy, and already some locations had been identified.

“The establishment of the university branch will help Sri Lankan students pursue their higher studies at an affordable price locally instead of travelling overseas,” he said.

He said IIT-Madras degrees carried wider recognition, leading to employment.

The minister said that since innovation was one of the areas the university concentrated on, Sri Lankan students would be able to build up their innovative skills.

Prof V Kamakodi, Director, Dr Mahesh Panchagnula, pProfessors of the Department of Applied Mechanics, Senior Project Officer, University Relations, and Priya Venkat represented IIT-Madras in the talks with the minister.