Tanzania: Universities Challenged to Produce Top Quality Experts

By Abela Msikula

HIGHER learning institutions in the country have been challenged to produce top quality experts to serve in all productive sectors to enable Tanzania maintain its economic stability.

Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Leonard Akwilapo made the call in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday while opening the 15th Universities' Exhibitions, organised by Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU).

"Tanzania has already been declared a middle income country. More researches are needed to recommend how productive sectors, such as agriculture, industry, tourism, mining, among others, can effectively sustain the country's economic stability," said the PS.

He insisted that finding results are of paramount importance to advise on how best value addition to local products can be implemented, in a bid to avoid selling/exporting raw materials. This, he said, will help expand local industries' scope.

The PS insisted that universities' contribution is also needed in production of experts to run and supervise major development projects, which promote the wellbeing of all Tanzanians and national economy stabilisation.

He said that given the fact that universities have huge a contribution to national development, the government has been in various ways improving learning environments and infrastructures, including construction of students' hostels, where a total of new 26 dormitories have already been made available for University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Mzumbe and Ardhi Universities.

"Libraries, including a newly constructed one at UDSM worth 96bn/-, with capacity to accommodate 2,500 students at a go, are also made available at various universities as well as modern laboratories," he stressed.

TCU Chairperson, Prof Mayunga Nkunya expressed gratitude to the fifth phase government which made various changes in the higher learning institutions, including improving the management of quality assurance systems by the universities to meet national, regional and international standards.

He affirmed that universities' internal quality assurance systems have also been improved, with TCU continuing to organise and run various trainings to all higher learning institutions in an effort to enhance their capacity in assuring quality.

"For instance, in this time, the Commission has already offered training and experience sharing sessions for Vice Chancellors of the 44 public and private universities and allied institutions out of 47. The training is about developing a curriculum that is in line with the needs, as well as how to establish partnerships with various employers in both public and private organisations," he said.