IITs - the premier technology institutes of the country are all set to go global, with the government planning to open its campuses in different countries across the globe. As per the latest update, the Central govt has appointed a committee to look into the matter of expanding IITs campuses abroad.

In consultation with Indian missions abroad, identified UK, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia and Thailand have been listed as prospective locations for offshore campuses under the “Indian International Institute of Technology” name.

According to a report that the 17-member committee, headed by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, chair of the IIT Council standing committee, issued to the Ministry of Education, these seven nations scored highly on several important metrics.

The criteria include the degree of interest and dedication; academic pedigree; an environment that attracts top staff & students; regulatory requirements; and possible advantages to improve India’s “branding & reputation.”

The report shared by the committee mentions that UK High Commission has received ‘6 concrete proposals’ for setting up global campuses of IITs. 6 Universities, namely, University of Birmingham, King’s College London, University of Exeter, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and University College London, exhibited interest in setting up a campus of IIT.

The report also states that IIT Delhi has already begun preliminary talks with department of education and knowledge in Abu Dhabi, after it was approached by the government to setup a campus in UAE.

Apart from this, IIT Madras has also been in talks with Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tanzania, for setting up of a global campus.

The report says that it should be developed as residential institutes, with host nation making necessary arrangement for setting up of the campus within the country. In terms of student intake, panel recommended that the global campus of IITs should cater to local populace and that the max number of Indian students at global campuses of IITs should be limited to 20% only.