Undergraduate students at the Zanzibar campus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, can now avail themselves of fellowship support.
The Airtel Africa Fellowship Programme, with an outlay of US$ 500,000, will support 10 deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in the BS course in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Zanzibar campus for the course duration of four years.
The foundation was started in 2024 and is dedicated to advancing digital and financial inclusion across the continent, with a focus on education and environmental protection. The fellowship is designed to support students from 14 African countries. The Airtel Africa Fellows will receive 100% of their college fee of US$ 12,000 and the living cost of US$ 500 will also be given to eligible students.
Zanzibar’s Minister of Education and Vocational Training Lela Mohamed Mussa said the financial assistance was an important priority to the region. The foundation’s chairman, Olusegun Ogunsanya, said the initiative aimed to contribute towards creating a prosperous and sustainable continent, adding: “We look forward to opportunities not just in education but also in financial and digital inclusion, and environmental protection.”
Institute director V. Kamakoti said IIT-Madras was committed to establishing a world-class campus in Zanzibar. Not only was the institute “immensely grateful to Airtel Africa Foundation for providing financial assistance” but it was also looking forward to welcoming the second cohort of young students to the campus in the current academic year.
Published – September 11, 2024 01:10 am IST
