Dr. Mkombozi Vincent Mhina obtained an LL.B. (Hons) from the University of Dar es Salaam, in 1985. In January, 1986 he joined the Department of International of the then Faculty of Law of the same University as Tutorial Assistant. He obtained an LL.M. from Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada, in 1988 on environmental aspects of the Law of the Sea, with focus on the Exclusive Economic Zone.

In 2014 Dr. Mhina obtained Ph.D. in law from the University of Dar es Salaam. His doctorate, which followed years of research at the University of Nottingham, is on multinational corporate responsibility for the environment and human rights in developing countries.

Dr. Mhina served the University of Dar es Salaam as Lecturer until September 2018, when he retired. Over the years, he has taught public international law, intellectual property law, international human rights law, labour law, social security law as a well as private international law.

Dr. Mhina is currently still serving the University of Dar es Salaam school of Law on time-basis basis.

Besides his core teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. Mhina sits in the Departmental Postgraduate Studies Committee as member and represents the Dean, School of Law, in the board of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Fisheries Technology (CoAF).

Dr. Mhina’s other notable contributions to the University include “Review of Tanzanian Labour Laws and Policy; A University of Dar es Salaam Institutional Paper,” requested by and submitted to the Office of the Vice Chancellor as University input into the Labour Law Reform 2001-2002, commissioned by the Ministry of Labour, Youth Development and Sports; Legal Opinion Report on Registration of Contract Staff with NSSF, Commissioned by and submitted to the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, July 2003 and, last but not least, Draft Voluntary Agreement (Mkataba wa Hali Bora ya Kazi) between University of Dar es Salaam and RAAWU MLIMANI, requested by and submitted to the Chief Administrative Officer, University of Dar es Salaam, 2005.

Dr. Mhina is also a serving member of the University of Dar es Salaam Tender Board and the Business, Tourism and Planning (BTP) Board of the National Technical Education Council (NACTE), posts that pre-date his retirement.

Dr. Mhina is an advocate of High Court of Tanzania, Notary Public & Commissioner for Oaths since 1991. In 2017 he enrolled as advocate of the High Court of Zanzibar, Notary Public & Commissioner for Oaths. He is currently senior Partner at FK Law Chambers, Advocates, having joined this firm 1996, when it was founded. As such, Dr. Mhina is a member of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), East African Law Society (EALS) and Zanzibar Law Society (ZLS). Exposure to legal practice and membership to these professional societies has made a significant practical contribution to Dr.  Mhina’s career as an academic.

Besides his academic responsibilities, Dr. Mhina has been involved in Legal aid/ pro bono work under the auspices of both the Legal Aid Committee (LAC) of the University of Dar es Salaam School of Law and the Legal Aid Committee of the Tanganyika Law Society.

Dr. Mhina has helped public bodies handle disciplinary proceedings against employees. In 2013 he served as Secretary to three-man Panel appointed by TANESCO Board of Directors to conduct disciplinary proceedings concerning violations of public procurement laws by senior employees of TANESCO. In 2014 he served as Chairman of a three-man panel appointed by HESLB Board of Directors to conduct disciplinary proceedings concerning dishonesty by a senior official of HESLB. In 2016 Dr. Mhina chaired a three-man panel appointed by HESLB Board of Directors to conduct disciplinary proceedings concerning sexual harassment against a senior employee of HESLB. Once again, In 2017 Dr. Mhina served as Labour Law Consultant to a three-man panel appointed by HESLB Board of Directors to conduct disciplinary proceedings concerning occasioning loss to government against several top officials of HESLB.

Over the years, Dr. Mhina has participated and presented paper in seminars and conferences on both local and international fora, where he has also had the opportunity of serving as resource person. He has also been involved with several consultancy studies. They include the Draft National Environmental Policy for Tanzania, Short-term Consultancy Study, commissioned by the National Environment Management Council, 15-25 April 1996, Bahari Beach Hotel, Dar es Salaam; Situational Analysis on National Disaster Management, Report prepared by Economic and Social Research Council, Commissioned by and Submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office, July 2001; “Review of Tanzania Labour Laws,” Study Commissioned by and Submitted to the Banker’s Association of Tanzania as the Association’s input into the Labour Law Reform 2001-2002; and Revising the Draft Tourism Bill and Formulating a Tourism Act, commissioned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, November, 2003.

Dr. is Mhina is contributor to World Bank, Doing Business 2008: Comparing Regulation in 178 Economies, World Bank & IFC, Washington, D.C. 2007.  Other publications include M. V. Mhina, “Taxation as an Instrument of Environmental Protection,” (1994) 3:1 The IFM Journal of Finance and Management 16; M. V. Mhina, “Environment and investment in Tanzania: Reflections on the Mandate of the investment Promotion Centre,” (1996) 4:1,2, & 3 Change 73; M. V. Mhina, “Protection of the Environment in Tanzania: Reflections on the Role of Taxation,” in L. X. Mbunda and C. K. Mtaki (eds.) Taxation Policy in Tanzania: Constraints and Perspectives Faculty of Law, UDSM, 1995, pp. 82-97.

Dr. Mhina’s unpublished works include the following: Dr. M.C. Mukoyogo and M.V. Mhina “Country-specific Refugee Case Law Database:” Consultancy Study for the Office of the Resident Representative for Tanzania, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, prepared in collaboration with Dr M. C. Mukoyogo, Faculty of Law, University of Dar es Salaam (February - June 1990); Dr. Achim con Opeen and M.V. Mhina, “Land Rights and their lmpact on lndividual and Communal Forms of Land Use in the Project Area of the Handeni integrated Agro-forestry Project (HIAP), Tanzania:” Consultancy Study for the German Agency for Technical cooperation (G.T.Z) prepared in collaboration with Dr Achim von Opeen, Gleditschstr (Berlin) (August - September, 1992).

Others include M. V. Mhina, Implications for Coastal States of the Establishment of Exclusive Zones. A Case Study of Tanzania, Thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research, Queens University, Canada, in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters in Law, 1988; M.V. Mhina, Transnational Investment, Environmental Degradation and Human Rights: A Cross-national Case Study Based on Mineral and Petroleum Industries in Selected Developing Countries, A Thesis submitted to the University of Dar es Salaam in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2014