Overview
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university dedicated to the study and research of space science. Located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the institute focuses on space science, technology and their applications. It is regarded as Asia's first space university.
IIST was set up in 2007 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) under the Department of Space, Government of India. It was inaugurated on 14 September 2007 by G. Madhavan Nair, the then Chairman of ISRO. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, served as the first Chancellor of the institute.
The institute offers regular engineering programmes at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, with curricula oriented towards space science and technology. Through its academic and research activities, IIST functions as a feeder institution for ISRO and contributes to the development of human resources for the Indian space programme.
References
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article on the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology.