IIT Kanpur offers a variety of continuing and distance education programs (short-term course, workshops, online certificate courses, web courses, and internship programs) to students, academic, scientific and technical staff, professionals and to interested participants - both from within and outside the institute. The aim of all such activities is to provide learners opportunities to gain knowledge and/or to develop skill sets for professional growth. All such extension and academic outreach educational activities of IIT Kanpur is handled by the Office of the Outreach Activities (OOA) for effective governance and implementation of these programs.

The scope and functions are:

• All academic outreach activities like Conferences, Workshops, Symposia, Short-term courses, Training programs, Internship programs and other similar activities of the Institute.
• The office provides necessary logistics, administrative support to run such programs.
• The Centre is evolving mechanisms for self sustainability in future.