Airtel Africa Foundation Launches Fellowship For IIT Madras Zanzibar Students

The Airtel Africa Foundation has announced the launch of the prestigious ‘Airtel Africa Fellowship Programme’ for the undergraduate students at IIT Madras Zanzibar, the first-ever foreign campus established by an IIT.

The Fellowship aims to support deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) in Zanzibar. Starting with an outlay of US$5,00,000, this programme will benefit ten undergraduate students, for their entire course duration of four years.

Founded in 2024 with a vision to foster a prosperous Africa, the Airtel Africa Foundation is dedicated to advancing digital and financial inclusion across the continent along with key focus on education and environmental protection. This Fellowship is the maiden initiative undertaken to enhance educational opportunities for meritorious students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, enrolled at IIT M Zanzibar. It is designed to support students from 14 African countries, which are namely Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, Niger, Chad, Congo B, Gabon, Madagascar and Seychelles.

Recipients of this scholarship will be known as ‘Airtel Africa Fellows’. They will receive 100 per cent of their college fees i.e. US$12,000 as per the course fee structure of the Institute for a four-year programme. Additionally, to cover the living expense cost, US$500 will be given to all eligible students. This initiative will aspire to transform, shape lives and nurture future leaders who will contribute to technological innovation and economic growth of Africa.