“Educate, the Industry Will Train”: Minister Prof. Mkumbo Challenges Varsities to Rethink Their Purpose
By Dotto Kuhenga, CMU
In a powerful and provocative message delivered at the opening of the 10th Research and Innovation Week at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Minister of State in the President’s Office, Planning and Investment, Hon. Prof. Kitila Alexander Mkumbo (MP), urged Tanzanian universities to resist the growing pressure to serve merely as job training institutions.
“Much as it is important to train Tanzanians for the job market, this should not be the focus of universities. The University must be there to educate—make critical minds—and let employers train and impart skills. Educate, the industry will train! Otherwise, we will all be like VETA [Vocational Education and Training Authority institutions]”, he said.
His comments sparked a moment of reflection across the Library Auditorium at UDSM’s Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Campus, as the country’s leading academic institution marked a decade of advancing research, innovation, and scholarly dialogue.
Prof. Mkumbo, a distinguished alumnus and former UDSM academic, emphasized the need to re-centre higher education around intellectual development and critical thinking, rather than purely on vocational outcomes.
The week’s theme, “Harnessing Digital Technology to Accelerate Research, Innovation, and Commercialisation,” provided an apt backdrop for the Minister’s message. In welcoming participants to the milestone event, Vice Chancellor Prof. William A.L. Anangisye reiterated the University’s foundational mission to educate, innovate, and serve society through knowledge.
“This occasion is not only a celebration of what we have achieved over the last ten years, but a reaffirmation of our duty to the nation—transmitting knowledge, fostering research, and preparing thoughtful, critically minded citizens who can transform Tanzania”, said Prof. Anangisye.
Embracing digital technologies in modern research
Prof. Anangisye also highlighted the strategic importance of embracing digital technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and blockchain in modern research. He stated that through its innovation hubs, research infrastructure, and dynamic academic community, UDSM is well-positioned to lead the national agenda on digital transformation and knowledge commercialisation.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Prof. Nelson Boniface, offered a comprehensive overview of the scale and depth of the Research and Innovation Week. He pointed out that this year’s edition saw 345 projects showcased at the college and school level, up from 306 the previous year, with a steady increase in female participation—demonstrating the University’s commitment to inclusive academic growth.
He noted that 104 outstanding projects were selected for university-wide exhibition during the three-day celebration, which also includes keynote dialogues, academic symposia, strategic partnership meetings, and a final award ceremony recognising excellence in research and innovation.
Prof. Boniface emphasised that this event has grown from a modest initiative into a nationally recognized platform for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and stakeholder collaboration. He also praised students for their growing contribution to research, with over 60 percent of the projects at the university level originating from student researchers.
What resonated most, however, was the call to reimagine the role of the university itself. Prof. Mkumbo’s warning against reducing university education to vocational training served as both a critique and a vision—urging UDSM and other institutions to reassert their intellectual autonomy and social purpose.
As the 10th anniversary celebration continues, the message is clear: research, innovation, and technology must be underpinned by critical thinking and a strong educational foundation. Universities must lead, not follow, in shaping the minds that will define Tanzania’s future. And as the Minister put it plainly, “Educate, the industry will train.”