Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri presents degrees to international students of IIT Madras
46 students from 12 countries graduate across diverse disciplines, reflecting IIT Madras’ growing global footprint in higher education and research
CHENNAI, 11th June: Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, Government of India, presented degrees to International Students of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) from the 2024 Batch during an event on the campus on 5th June 2026.
A total of 46 international students from 12 countries received their degrees during the programme. Degrees were awarded under programmes including M.Tech, I2MP M.Tech, M.A., M.Sc., JMP KU–IITM M.Tech and IITM Zanzibar M.Tech.
The graduating students represented a diverse global community from Nepal, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Liberia, Cameroon, the United States of America and India, reflecting IIT Madras’ commitment to internationalisation and academic excellence.
The degrees were awarded in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, along with Deans, faculty members, students, parents and other stakeholders from the Office of Global Engagement, IIT Madras, which drives the institute’s internationalisation strategies, expanding global footprint and manages international collaborations.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, Government of India, said, “The rate of change in the systems that you have been trained to build here – Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Space Systems, Sustainable Infrastructure – this change is not merely fast, but it is compounding. Every insight generates new questions.”
Highlighting the changing global landscape of innovation and knowledge creation, Shri Vikram Misri said, “The world is multipolar. It is no longer going back and forth between two poles. It is definitely young, and you represent that feature of the world. The map of who got to shape the future was drawn in a few and limited set of rooms with a limited set of personalities participating. That map of the world is being redrawn. And you are among the people who hold both the pen and the power to redraw that map.”
Further, Shri Vikram Misri added, “The fast-growing technology ecosystems in the world today are not all in the same places that they used to be. Nairobi has a technology hub that they call the ‘Silicon Savannah’. Bengaluru is one of the world’s foremost centres of software talent. Lagos, Accra, Cairo and Colombo are generating startups, patents, products and solutions at a pace that was unimaginable just two decades ago. The world is waiting for you to innovate.”
The graduating students belonged to a wide range of academic departments and interdisciplinary programmes, including Civil Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Humanities and Social Sciences, Data Science and AI and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SiDIS) – Energy Systems.
Addressing the students, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “We are extremely happy that IIT Madras has been in a position to graduate you to a stage where we start understanding Mother Earth in a more holistic manner. Unless we work together and forge strong partnerships among nations with the motto ‘One Earth, One Future, One Family’, the world cannot survive without collaboration and inter-dependence.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti further added, “The National Education Policy (NEP) of the Government of India has brought internationalisation of institutions as one of the important facets. You are going to be ambassadors for a strong partnership between your respective countries and India.”
Highlighting the Institutes’ internationalisation efforts, Prof. Preeti Aghalayam, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, said, “The IIT Madras Strategic Plan 2021-27 mandates internationalisation in close accordance with NEP 2020. Building strong international partnerships with a focus on multiculturalism and inclusivity, we are well on our way to achieving our stated goals.”
Prof. Preeti Aghalayam added, “In the current academic year, we are seeing significant activity in the International Admissions Office, with around 150 students from 17 countries selected into Master’s and PhD programmes across various departments. Four students from IIT Madras Zanzibar are also graduating today. IIT Madras has more than 60,000 alumni globally, including around 250 international students who have graduated with Master’s and PhD degrees.”
The Degree Distribution Programme celebrated the academic accomplishments of international students while highlighting IIT Madras’ growing role as a global destination for higher education, research and innovation. The event also recognised the contributions of international scholars to the Institute’s vibrant academic and multicultural environment.
The Office of Global Engagement, IIT Madras, congratulated all graduating students and wished them success in their future academic, professional and personal endeavours.