Africa-Press – Tanzania. The Chancellor of Mzumbe University (MU), who is also the former Zanzibar President, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, says the rise in the number of graduates reflects the growing investment in higher education, research, and innovation in the country.
He noted that this growth is an important step for Mzumbe University in driving solutions to social challenges through impactful research conducted by its graduates.
Dr Shein made the remarks while conferring certificates and degrees to graduates of Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral (PhD) programmes during the university’s 24th graduation ceremony held on November 20, 2025, at the Main Campus in Morogoro.
“I am pleased to see that this year the University has set a record by producing 15 PhD graduates. This is a good sign that the number of highly educated scholars conducting research that benefits citizens and contributes to national development is increasing,” said Dr Shein.
The Chancellor added that having 15 PhD graduates—four of them being women—sets a new record for the university’s 24th graduation ceremony.
Dr Shein also urged all graduates to make good use of their knowledge and skills to advance their personal development and contribute to national progress, in line with the university’s motto: “Learning for the Development of the People.”
Among the PhD graduates was the newly appointed Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Juma Homera, who was recently appointed by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor William Mwegoha, said that a total of 5,091 students graduated in the 2024/2025 academic year across the university’s campuses in Morogoro, Dar es Salaam, and Mbeya, with 3,171 coming from the Main Campus in Morogoro.
Professor Mwegoha added that the university has continued to expand and strengthen partnerships with international organisations and institutions, successfully signing 40 cooperation agreements.
“We are proud that some of our graduates’ research has brought positive results to the nation and Africa as a whole. The university has also increased its international cooperation agreements to 40, up from 18 recorded last year (2024),” he said.
Speaking after being awarded his PhD, Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Dr. Juma Homera, said he earned the degree after researching the effectiveness of village land councils in handling conflicts between farmers and pastoralists. His study was titled “Institutional Context of the Village Land Councils and the Land Use Conflict Between Farmers and Pastoralists in Tanzania.”
Dr. Homera conducted the study in Kilosa District (Morogoro Region), Mbarali District (Mbeya Region), and Tunduru District (Ruvuma Region).
He said the research revealed the need to amend laws governing land dispute resolution bodies so that village land councils do not stop at mediation but also take part in enforcing and supervising their decisions within the legal framework.
“There is a need to improve the law governing village land councils because they currently focus more on mediation rather than providing enforceable decisions, such as holding accountable and prosecuting individuals responsible for causing conflicts,” said Dr Homera.
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