Anna University is a state public technical university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established by the Government of Tamil Nadu, it is one of the leading institutions in southern India for higher education in engineering, technology, architecture, and applied sciences. The university is named after C. N. Annadurai, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
| Name | Anna University |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Location | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Named after | C. N. Annadurai |
| Main campus | Guindy, Chennai |
| Focus | Engineering, technology, architecture, sciences, management |
Anna University was founded by bringing together four established technical institutions in Chennai: the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG); the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT), Chromepet; the Alagappa College of Technology (ACT); and the School of Architecture and Planning (SAP). The College of Engineering, Guindy, traces its origins to the 18th century and is among the oldest engineering institutions in India, while the Madras Institute of Technology was founded in 1949 and is associated with alumni such as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
The university operates several campuses in and around Chennai:
Regional campuses of the university are located in other parts of Tamil Nadu, including Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, and Coimbatore.
Anna University offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across disciplines including civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, computer science, information technology, chemical, biotechnology, aeronautical, and automobile engineering, along with architecture, planning, management studies, and basic sciences. The university also functions as an affiliating university for a large number of engineering colleges across Tamil Nadu, conducting common syllabi and examinations for them.
The university hosts several specialised research centres in areas such as crystal growth, environmental studies, remote sensing, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. It is recognised by the University Grants Commission and accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), and is regularly placed among the leading Indian universities in national rankings published by the Ministry of Education through the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
Constituent institutions of Anna University, particularly CEG and MIT, count several distinguished figures among their alumni, including former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who studied aeronautical engineering at MIT.