Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR President Hussein Mwinyi has challenged the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), to focus on key areas in line with government priorities such as the ‘blue economy’ so that the country can achieve its development goals.
“Blue economy has many areas that need to be developed. The university can get involved by conducting research and assessing the human resource needed to produce employable graduates,” Dr Mwinyi said at the 16th graduation of SUZA, held at its main campus in Tunguu, South Unguja.
Before his speech, the President took-over as the university chancellor, vowing to extend his ongoing anti-corruption crusade to the higher learning institution.
“I will inspect all the SUZA campuses, and need to know the collection of funds, procurement, and other expenditures,” he said.
He informed the gathering that he was happy to be the next chancellor after his predecessor Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, who performed well by having most of the infrastructures and policies in place.
“I thank Dr Shein and I am ready for the role to move SUZA forward to be one of the best universities in the region,” he said.
Dr Mwinyi decorated Dr Shein with an honorary PhD in medical sciences awarded by the university in recognition of his good job in building the institution during his tenure.
The president also advised the university to review its curriculum aiming at improving and producing better graduates, who are marketable, innovative and self-employable.
He expressed his reservation that while the Tourism College produces many graduates, most of them cannot be employed in the hotels.
“Find out why your graduates from Tourism College are not employed here, with most hotels, preferring to get hotel workers from outside Zanzibar. Look at your curriculum,” he said, adding that it is also not good for Zanzibar surrounded by the ocean to have no training institute linked to the blue economy.
“We should have a marine training institute or fishing institute of shipping. A university like SUZA is capable of establishing such a training institute even in partnership with others,” Dr Mwinyi.
The President also pushed for a new ‘Zanzibar Research Agenda’ which SUZA can work collaboratively with Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) to produce.
He urged SUZA to be creative and minimize foreign aid dependence, saying that good planning can help the university to be self-reliant in many areas.
Dr Mwinyi also drummed for promotion of Kiswahili language globally by sending qualified Zanzibar teachers abroad to teach the language.
“We have promised to create at least 300,000 jobs for our youths. Kiswahili is an opportunity to invest for our universities. We need to produce more qualified teachers in this language and help them search for jobs abroad…we will seek help from our ambassadors working in foreign countries,” Mwinyi said.
He also urged students who have graduated and acquired jobs to pay back loans, so that more students can be supported.
President Mwinyi also commended the University for producing medical doctors, who have been filling the gaps in the health sector. A total of 48 out of more than 1,000 graduates this year, were awarded degrees in medicines.
SUZA Vice-Chancellor Dr Zakia Mohamed Abubakari informed the gatherings that despite the achievement, the university has been facing myriads of challenges including shortage of funds, and space for offices causing congestion in staff offices.
Minister for Education and Vocational Training Mr Simai Mohamed Said said at the graduation that the current nursery and primary curriculum is under review, while his office has planned to conduct a campaign in 2021 encouraging parents to promote home reading.
“We want students to read or study when at home,” he noted.
