UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA AND RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SIGN MOU ON ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS

The Dodoma University Vice Chancellor Professor Idris Kikula and Rutgers University Chancellor Richard Edwards.

The signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities on academic partnership during a brief and colorful ceremony held at New Jersey Rutgers University campus yesterday.

 

The signing of M.O.U was after the speech, President Dr.Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete delivers his public lecture on “The role of Academic Partnerships in Finding Solutions to Global Challenges and Advancing Tanzania’s Priorities,” at Rutgers University in New Jersey United States yesterday. 
Kikwete opened up about the problems facing Tanzania, as well as the role of global partnerships in solving the challenges, at the event sponsored by the Center for Global Advancement and International Affairs and Center for African Studies.
“I am happy that the discussion is not whether international partnerships are important or not, but the discussion is how we can create this partnership in a manner that they are effective and efficient in addressing global challenges,” he said.
Kikwete has held his position since 2005, after serving as a Minister for Foreign Affairs for 10 years and as Finance Minister from 1994 to 1995.
One issue that Kikwete has strived to get the ball rolling on is the field of research and development in Tanzania.
“If we want to accelerate the pace of development, we have to do more in areas of science and tech, in areas of research,” he said. “[These are] areas where I found we were not doing well.”
After being elected president, Kikwete visited all the research institutions in the country and was shocked to discover that the institutions had hired no personnel in 10 years.

“This is really a momentous occasion for our University. … It reflects our slogan, ‘Jersey Roots, Global Reach,” Edwards said.

Soon after the finding, he advised that no existing employees retired before they made remarkable discoveries.
“I said, ‘You guys will not retire until we come to the point where we are now mixing genes, combining and getting a monster somewhere, then you can take care of your grandchildren,’” he said.
Kikwete lifted the employment freeze, updated research equipment and devoted more funding to research. Currently, the country has better research institutions that conduct at least two to three research programs and train students in acquiring masters and Ph.D.s.
Although the water bottle on Kikwete’s podium dropped several times, Kikwete was undeterred from stressing the importance of solving global challenges through global solutions.
“Many challenges and problems the world is facing today are global in nature,” he said. “There is no Eastern or Western problem alone, no African or European problem or American problem. …”
Kikwete said one example of problems that have seen progress owing to international collaboration are the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.
Since 1990, child mortality rate has been halved, according to the U.N. MDG report from 2014.
In 2012, 6 million fewer children are dying than in 1990.
Similarly, the world’s recent problems, like the ISIS crisis, fall in no single country’s framework.
“[It is] no longer an Iraqi problem, we were told at least there are 600 people from Britain ... 500 from Sweden and so many from all over the world, ISIS may look like a Syria or an Iraq problem but it’s global,” he said.

The public lecture was preceded by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Dodoma and Rutgers university on academic partnerships.

 
Kikwete, the fourth and current president of The United Republic of Tanzania, spoke about the importance of international collaborations in the Multipurpose Room of the College Avenue Student Center.
During the president’s visit, Richard Edwards, Rutgers-New Brunswick Chancellor and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, signed Rutgers’ first Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Dodoma in Tanzania. It is the first educational agreement that Tanzania has with the United States.

Photo by Yangeng Lin | Ousseina Alidou (left), director for Center for African Studies and Richard Edwards (middle), Rutgers-New Brunswick chancellor greet Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete (right).

Ami Patel, a Rutgers student, witnessed first-hand the atmosphere in Tanzania during Kikwete’s election. She remembers people dancing in the streets out of happiness that their problems would go away.
Patel asked Kikwete how nervous he felt knowing that the citizens had tremendous expectations from him.
“Your fear was my fear,” Kikwete said.
Everyday, he continues to actualize what he promised for Tanzania, whether it is health, religion, research and development or elimination of poverty.
Ousseina Alidou, director for the Center for African Studies, highlighted Rutgers’ involvement in Tanzania and the African continent.
She said Rutgers has more than 120 faculties that are actively engaged in research, partnership collaborations and teaching of colleagues in many African countries.
“I believe it’s vitally important to make people aware of those opportunities and encourage deeper engagement with Africa and African colleagues, student, faculty and the professional world.”
Kikwete said he has very high hopes from the agreement between Rutgers and University of Dodoma and called it their “baby.”
“I am to see the collaboration between these two universities,” he said. “I expect to see this collaboration grow from strength to strength. You say there 25 [faculty members] who work in Tanzania, I want to see 125.”