LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
New programs position tertiary education as the sector-driven supplier of Tanzania's future labor force, training students in ICT, energy, agriculture, and other priority segments.
We started off with four schools, and gradually we built colleges around those four schools. Now, we have several colleges including a college dedicated to ICT, with focus on cyber crime and software development. One interesting example is that of student voting; students from the University of Dodoma developed an online system to facilitate ballot collection during in-house elections. Similarly, we are trying to draw linkages with the college of Natural Mathematical Sciences and the college of ICT. We are working with private sector companies such as Statoil to boost vocational capacity development in earth sciences, in line with the foreseeable future of Tanzania's employment profile, following the LNG discoveries in country. Our ambition for the next few years is to come up with programs that go hand in hand with the private sector in terms of the industries—programs that will support the government in terms of its industrialization goals. We have already started training some of the staff in the oil and gas industry; however, we feel that is not enough and are emphasizing vocational studies. Finally, we are looking to support the agriculture sector, again in line with the government's ambitions to grow exports and value addition.
In the faculty of science and technology, we have three or four programs that are relevant to the drive for industrialization. One of these is our ICT faculty, with strong courses on offer for technicians and ICT experts. We also offer a bachelor's and master's program in environmental studies. There is one other recent course we introduced, which is a bachelor's of science in energy studies, following the need to train personnel in various energy-related spheres, not just petroleum but also renewables. We are now in the third phase of implementing practical entrepreneurism, and we are going to train our people on how to create entrepreneurial projects and then test them to see if they work, closely following the Rwandan model that has been successful. Over the next 10-15 years, we want to see OUT become a role model for higher education in the country in terms of quality and efficiency. There was a global stigma about the inferiority of distance education, but this is gradually disappearing. It provides a greater level of flexibility for the students, and ensures synchronized learning. At the moment, we are facing challenges with fairly high-cost internet in Tanzania. However, the moment we make a breakthrough with lower-cost internet, and then OUT will see its operations really taking off.
WThrough its core mission of teaching, research, and public service, UDSM has immensely contributed to boosting education in sciences and industry-related specialties. Indeed, it is difficult, and perhaps unfair, to talk of development in science and technology, industrialization, and innovation in Tanzania without acknowledging the indispensable role that UDSM has played. Through the UDSM Vision 2061, the university realized the importance of elevating its research as a key aspect of strengthening its teaching and public service effectiveness. In 2012, as part of restructuring, a new office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research was established alongside the Directorates of Research and of Public Service. We have encouraged the introduction of centers of excellence and research centers with interdisciplinary research teams to focus on specific areas. We have also innovated professorial chairs to stimulate deep thinking and debates in certain areas, again to equip talented professors with the means to really tackle some of the problems that are facing Tanzania on an economic and socio-economic level. Similarly, we have redoubled our efforts to mobilize our associates, build links, and improve collaboration. We have jointly formed the African Research Universities alongside about 15 universities in Africa with a focus on practical and problem solving research.
LOCAL UNIVERSITIES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
TBY talks to Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on the advantages of being a member of the Commonwealth, the need to celebrate diversity, and Tanzania's war against corruption.
read articleGuest Speaker
Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General, East African Community (EAC)
TBY talks to Libérat Mfumukeko, Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), on Tanzania's importance to the EAC, the major achievements of regional integration, and obstacles ahead of a monetary union.
read articleInterview
Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary , Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC)
TBY talks to Raymond P. Mbilinyi, Executive Secretary of Tanzania National Business Council (TNBC), on its work to support the private sector in the country, tackling challenges in the economy, and clamping down on corruption.
read articleReview: Banking
The Quest for Depth
If Tanzania is to meet its 2025 vision of attaining middle-income status, it will need to corral its bank-centric financial and capital markets for greater depth by extending participation and rendering credit more accessible to SMEs, women, and the young to spur economic growth.
read articleInterview
Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner , Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
TBY talks to Dr. Baghayo A. Saqware, Commissioner of Insurance, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), on achieving universal healthcare coverage, the brilliance of microinsurance, and how to partner with public and private entities to increase the industry's penetration.
read articleReview
Legal Thunder
With the stepping down of Minister of Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo in May 2017 over transparency issues and the introduction of three new laws that give the government the right to renegotiate or revoke existing mining and oil and gas rights, private players in the country are unsure of what future lies ahead. On the other hand, project-specific developments bode well for a sector in need of a breakthrough.
read articleInterview
Kapuulya Musomba, Managing Director, Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC)
TBY talks to Kapuulya Musomba, Acting Managing Director of Tanzania Petroleum Development Company (TPDC), on the planned expansion of the Mtwara-Dar es Salaam natural gas pipeline, entering northern industrial hubs, and empowering nascent industries.
read articleInterview
Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director, Shell/BG Tanzania
TBY talks to Marc Den Hartog, Managing Director of Shell/BG Tanzania, on the critical need for economies of scale, the importance of developing LNG for export, and why renewables must be taken into account in any long-term plan.
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Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment
TBY talks to Hon. Charles Mwijage, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, on how to reach middle-income status, employing the private sector toward this end, and what sets the country apart from the rest of East Africa.
read articleFocus: Helium
Discoveries of Magna-tude
Despite being the second most common element in the universe, helium is in short supply on earth. With global reserves of the gas steadily dwindling, and demand steadily increasing, the discovery of a whopping 1.53 billion cbm of helium in underground chambers in Tanzania could not have come at a better moment.
read articleInterview
Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General, Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA)
TBY talks to Gilliard W. Ngewe, Director General of Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Agency (SUMATRA), on transportation budget allocation and cross-sector dialog and partnerships.
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Jared H. Zerbe, CEO, Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS)
TBY talks to Jared H. Zerbe, CEO of Tanzania International Container Terminal Services Limited (TICTS), on regional trade flows and Tanzania's potential to take a leading role in orchestrating cargo movement.
read articleFocus: Tanzania Strategic Cities Project (TSCP)
East Africa’s “Geneva”
If Rome wasn't built in a day, it is not surprising that Tanzania's project to revamp eight of its largest cities is entering its eighth year of implementation. A release of further funds from the World Bank has given the project a new lease of life.
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Lost in the Maize
Agriculture accounts for 30% of Tanzania's GDP, and the sector has experienced above-average output in recent years compared to the rest of the African continent. However, the sector's development is held back by poor rural farming practices and general infrastructure bottlenecks.
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Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
TBY talks to Fred Kafeero, Tanzania Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on the organization's long-term support for Tanzania's development, recent initiatives in agriculture, and financing.
read articleFocus: 2020 Irrigation Target
Reap What You Sow
In 2006, the Tanzanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation set a target for Tanzania's agriculture sector: to irrigate 1 million ha of land by 2020. More than 10 years on and moving ever closer to the deadline, this target has not yet been met, though the first seeds are being sown.
read articleFocus: Southern Circuit Tourism
Hidden Gems
Tourism is frequently described as the jewel in Tanzania's economic crown. In 2016 alone, the industry contributed over USD2 billion in revenues. However, for at least three years, the government has expressed concern that tourism is not well distributed across the country.
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