UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

By Dotto Kuhenga, CMU

The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) has signed two contracts with two consultancy companies for design review and supervision of construction projects for 21 buildings under the World Bank grant, the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) Project.

The contract signing occasion, which took place on 2nd November 2023, and whose guest of honour was the UDSM Council Chairperson, Hon. Ambassador Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar, two contracts were signed in this regard.

Hon. Maajar urged both the consultants and the UDSM project implementing unit to ensure that the respective construction projects were undertaken professionally and according to the rules and regulations.

“The University Council is well prepared to make a close follow up the implementation of this project which intended to bring about efficiency in the areas of academics, research and public service”, said Ambassador Maajar.

Meanwhile, UDSM Vice Chancellor, Prof. William Anangisye, said the objective of the HEET project, through which the funds for such infrastructure construction came from, were in line with the University Vision 2061 and Strategic Plan aimed at transforming the institution according to the current and future national development needs.

Supervision of construction projects

According to the information about the contracts, as explained by Professor Bernadeta Killian, who is also the UDSM-HEET Coordinator and Deputy Vice Chancellor-Planning, Finance and Administration, they would cover the supervision of construction projects comprising 21 buildings, were signed between UDSM and two companies namely M/s Arqes Africa Architects & Interior Designers Limited and UDSM and M/s Geometry Consultants Limited for 10 and 11 buildings, respectively. 

The contract between UDSM and M/s Arqes Africa Architects & Interior Designers Limited would cover design review and supervision of construction activities in various colleges at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Mlimani Campus.

“These buildings include the College of Engineering and Technology (CoET) for the renovation of Blocks L, O and Q; construction of new building consisting of 7 laboratories; new building for 5 workshops; new building for 1 Lecture theatre (with 250 students capacity), 3 lecture rooms (each 50 students capacity) and 1 studio room (with 50 students capacity for Textile Design)”, stated Prof. Killian in the statement.

Other buildings at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere campus includes Gender and special needs building and Postgraduate students’ hostel (51 students).

“At the College of Information and Communication Technologies (CoICT) Kijitonyama, construction projects entail one (1) Lecture theatre – 140 students capacity; 1 multimedia studio – 50 students capacity; 3 advanced laboratories in emerging technologies – each with 48 students capacity; and 2 workshops – each with 30 students capacity 10”, she said.

Prof. Killian also said that the first contract would also cover the School of Aquatic Science and Fisheries Technology (SoAF) in Kunduchi including 3 Lecture rooms – each with 100 students capacity; and 1 laboratory – 50 students capacity, will be built.

IMS Zanzibar and Ruangwa and Ngongo buildings

Meanwhile, the contract between UDSM and M/s Geometry Consultants Limited would cover design review and supervision of construction of 11 new buildings including administration and academic building (for lecture rooms, laboratories, conference hall and staff offices and one new hostel building for 80 students at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) Buyu, Zanzibar.

“It will also cover the following supervision activities, for the Ruangwa and Ngongo sites in Lindi region; at Ngongo site: administration building, lecture rooms Building (for 360 students), Laboratory building, workshop building (5 rooms), male students hostel building, female students hostel building at Ngongo (both 17 and 18 for 196 students); and at Ruangwa site: lecture hall (50 students), and one students hostel building for 56 students (22 female and 34 male)”, said Prof. Killian.

The construction of the 21 buildings is in line with the HEET Project Development Objective (PDO) which is to strengthen the learning environments and labour market alignment of priority programs at beneficiary Higher Education Institutions and improve the management of the higher education system in Tanzania.

In its totality, the HEET Project at UDSM, which is worth 47.5 million USD, focuses on eight (8) key areas, namely, construction or rehabilitation of infrastructure; updating curriculum and introducing innovative pedagogical methodologies; and promoting applied research and innovation capacity.

Other areas include building functional linkages with private sector/industry; v) strengthening use of digital technology; vi) promoting self-generated income; vii) building capacity of academic staff and university leadership; and viii) project administration, coordination, monitoring and evaluation