Chennai: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar launched the IIT Madras Global Research Foundation (IITM Global), an international initiative aimed at positioning IIT Madras as the world’s first multinational university and expanding its global footprint in education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The launch, held at the IIT Madras campus in Chennai, also marked the inauguration of the ‘IITM Festival Fortnight’, which includes an Open House providing the public with access to laboratories and innovation centres, along with the institute’s annual technical festival, Shaastra, and cultural festival, Saarang.
IITM Global has been conceived as a scalable platform to take IIT Madras’s academic and research strengths to the global stage through international collaborations, joint research, startup engagement and technology transfer.
As part of the initiative, IIT Madras has signed multiple memoranda of understanding with institutions and partners across the US, UK, Germany, Dubai and the Asia-Pacific region.
Addressing the gathering, Jaishankar highlighted the role of Indian institutions in advancing India’s global engagement, citing the upcoming IIT Madras campus in Tanzania as an example of leveraging domestic capabilities for international impact.
IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti said IITM Global will initially establish a presence in key global locations and expand further based on its success.