News

By Jackson Isdory, CMU 

In a move to enhance graduate employability and productivity within the private and public sectors, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), in collaboration with the Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF), held a historic Strategic Partnership Dialogue with Chief Executive Officers on 11 July 2023 in Dar es Salaam.

The dialogue, which aimed to foster stronger ties between the University and the sectors (private and public) for promoting graduate employability and industry productivity, was graced by the Minister of State, Zanzibar President's Office, Zanzibar State House, Hon. Jamal Kassim Ali (MP) who emphasized the importance of collaboration between academia and industry.

“The private sector is the main driver of our economy, and our universities must provide high-quality human resources to support its growth," stated Hon. Ali. He emphasized the need for knowledge and skills alignment between academia and the private sector, recognizing that graduates equipped with relevant expertise would readily contribute to the labour market.

The Minister further commended UDSM for organizing such a dialogue for it would serve as a proper platform for charting out the way for the labour market alignment of university programmes.

Collaboration to address industry requirements and skills gaps

Prof. William A. L. Anangisye, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, expressed his gratitude to the participants for their attendance, and highlighted the importance of university-industry collaboration in enhancing graduate employability skills.

Prof. Anangisye stressed the University's commitment to institutionalizing and strengthening the linkage with sectors, especially the private sector to address industry requirements and skill gaps.

“This dialogue will count and be a notable attribute to the University as it sets to reorient its programmes to align with your relevant requirements and felt gaps of skills and knowledge”, said Prof. Anangisye.

The dialogue, whose theme was "Enhancing Graduate Employability for Industry Productivity," gathered high-level distinguished participants from various sectors, who strongly supported the University's efforts to engage stakeholders and strengthen ties with the public and private sector.

TPSF Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Raphael Maganga, said the dialogue was a very significant opportunity to share experiences and strengthen collaboration as in the Fourth Industrial Revolution it is imperative to forge partnership.

In the dialogue Prof. Goodluck Urassa of UDSM Business School (UDBS) presented the existing challenges, gaps and proposed interventions to enhance graduate employability skills.

Fruitful discussions

The event witnessed fruitful discussions among participants, enabling the exchange of ideas and the identification of collaborative opportunities between academia and industry. The dialogue aimed to bridge the gap between theoretical education and industry requirements, equipping graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge for employment.

Participants who attended the dialogue were very pleased to see the University of Dar es Salaam was taking proactive steps to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

“This strategic partnership dialogue will undoubtedly benefit both students and the private sector, foster innovation and prepare graduates for the demands of the job market”, remarked one of the CEOs present.

The event also served as one of the key activities in the implementation of the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project at the University of Dar es Salaam. In this regard, the project aims to enhance the learning environment, align priority programmes with labour market needs, and improve the management of higher education institutions.