UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

By Special Correspondent, CMU

The University of Dar es Salaam has reported impressive milestones in the implementation of the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project as certain areas where it has achieved near completion rates include capacity building and academic-industry linkages.

Speaking at the HEET Project Coordinators meeting held in Dar es Salaam from 26th to 28th February 2024, the UDSM Project Deputy Coordinator, Dr. Liberato Haule reported UDSM exemplary performance not only in the two areas but also in updating of curriculum and introducing innovative pedagogical methodologies which were in their final touches.

At this meeting, which was organised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Haule pointed out that, in terms of building capacity for academic staff, UDSM had surpassed the target by offering scholarships to 23 academic members of staff for overseas study for PhD and Masters as opposed to the planned 22.

“In this regard, eight final batch of scholarships were offered in June 2023 in which four were for PhD and four for Masters studies. We are also happy to report that five members of staff who were offered Masters studies scholarships in the first batch have already completed their studies and reported back to work”, said Dr. Haule.

Explaining progress in building functional linkages with the private sector or industry, Dr. Haule said that UDSM had undertaken almost all the required activities impeccably. He noted: “Various guidelines have been prepared and five Industry Advisory Committees have been formed and conducted their meetings as planned”.

In addition, he explained that UDSM had already formulated the Industry Linkage Office, appointed its head and enabled it to kick off. He pointed out that “12 members of staff have also completed their placement in the industry in line with the five agreements which have been signed between UDSM and the industry”.

UDSM signs contracts to construct 21 state of the art buildings

Meanwhile, Professor Bernadeta Killian, UDSM-HEET Coordinator and Deputy Vice Chancellor-Planning, Finance and Administration, said that UDSM had recently signed contracts with four contractors for construction of 21 buildings, out of the 24 planned to be built at UDSM, through the HEET project.

Prof. Killian, who also represented UDSM Vice Chancellor, Prof. William A. L. Anangisye at the meeting, said the four contractors that signed the contracts to carry out the construction projects included M/S Mohammed Builders; M/s B.H. Ladwa; M/S Til Construction; and M/s Shandong Hi-Speed.

She noted that the contracts would cover construction activities in various colleges at the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Mlimani campus worth TZS 6,643,437,375.37; construction of 11 new buildings including administration and academic building and one new hostel building for 80 students at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) Buyu, Zanzibar, worth TZS 10,118,405,530.78; and construction activities worth TZS 13,719,450,687.7 in the Ruangwa and Ngongo sites in Lindi region.  

She also informed that UDSM signed a supervision contract with M/s Mhandisi Consultancy Ltd in joint venture with M/s MD Consultancy Limited and others to supervise construction of three buildings at Kagera campus.

The three buildings at Kagera campus, that make a total of 24 HEET buildings at UDSM, included administration and academic building, cafeteria and business complex building, and female students hostel building.

Meanwhile, the Director of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Peter Msoffe, said that the meeting aimed at receiving progress reports of the project implementation from various  beneficiary institutions and chart the way forward for more improvement.

“This meeting is very important for it gives us an opportunity to learn the progress made and the challenges each institution is facing in the implementation of the project. It is also a very useful avenue to remind each other the government and World Bank regulations and standards to be observed as we implement this project”, said Prof Msoffe.

HEET project focus areas at UDSM

In its totality, the 47.5 million USD HEET Project at UDSM focuses on eight 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 the private sector/industry; strengthening the use of digital technology; promoting self-generated income; building capacity of academic staff and university leadership; and project administration, coordination, monitoring and evaluation.