Preeti Aghalayam - The first woman Director-In-Charge appointed in IIT
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is all set to set up its first foreign campus in Zanzibar, Africa. It is a matter of great pride for all the Indians as one of the most prestigious institutes of India is going to mark its on-set in a foreign land. There is another first about this premium institute. The campus will be the first one to have a woman director. The session is to begin is the month of October and along with that, the woman Director-In-Charge of IIT Zanzibar – Preeti Aghalayam will take charge of the college.
Who is the woman Director-In-Charge in IIT?
Ms. Preeti is an alumnus of IIT Madras where she completed her BTech in Chemical Engineering. She said, “I am an alumnus of IIT Madras and doing something of this magnitude for the institute and for the country is such a big honor. Every time we visited Zanzibar as part of the IIT Madras contingent, we noticed that the representation of women on their side is quite significant. So, it was important that we do this mindfully.” She further stated, “IIT Madras runs in her blood.”
Aghalayam graduated from IIT Madras with a BTech in Chemical Engineering in 1995. She then continued with her doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, finishing them in 2000. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT in Cambridge after completing her doctoral studies, and she then joined the faculty at IIT Bombay.
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India-Tanzania inked MoU
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tanzania and India was recently signed, making it possible for IIT Madras to open its first foreign campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Two full-time academic programmes are available through the institute, and admissions applications are now being accepted.
“Aghalayam is the first woman to be an IIT director. We will see many more encouraging things. We are following sustainable development goals and one of the important goals suggests that we need to bring in gender balance,” IIT Madras director V Kamakoti said at a press conference.
