UDSM CHANCELLOR'S SPEECH TO VISITING DELEGATION OF
ACADEMICIANS FROM SAUDI ARABIA 2003.
I feel greatly honored to be hosting this modest lunch so
that we can best utilize the very limited time your delegation has.
you have only three days which are crowded with a number of events
and visits both here in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. At the end of it
I believe you will realize that you needed more time. And to that
let me suggest that you should plan another visit which will give
you opportunity to se the country-side and in particular our
wildlife in national Parks.
- The Growth of University College in Tanzania since 1961
In Tanzania there was not a single university or university
college, in existence during the whole period of colonial rule.
In 1960 there were 215 Tanganyikan students enrolled in
the Makerere University College in Uganda, 27 in the Royal
Technical College in Kenya and 77 overseas.
These were the indigenous experts expected to serve a population
which then stood at 10 million. At that very time it is estimated
that 85% of all jobs requiring a University degree were occupied
by non-Africans" (Chonjo 1985:17-19). This kind of colonial
legacy, as mentioned earlier, left Africa - and especially
Tanzania - with no other choice but to put a lot of emphasis on
establishing Universities immediately after independence.
In this phase of Africa's development, the more Universities or University
college on the eve of independence in 1961 with a student
population of 14, Tanzania by 2001 could boast of having three
fully accredited public universities ( I mean Government owned)
and more than 15 private universities at various stages of
accreditation ( Mbwette 2001). In the meantime, the pioneering
Dar es Salaam University College was by 2001 a full university
constituted by one Main Campus and two constituent colleges with
a combined population of 7500 students.
The second point I wish to brief you about is the decisive role
which has been played by international cooperation in the
attainment of the goal of establishing more universities in
Africa in the period after independence. Following our
instigation and high priority accorded to University Education
The Donor countries responded positively. For Tanzania, international
cooperation, especially with regard to foreign assistance
provided by the Nordic countries Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Finland, Germany, the USA, Canada and Britain has made a lot of
difference. The construction of lecture theaters, seminar rooms,
laboratories, dining halls, student hostels, water supply
systems and other infrastructural installations would not have
been possible at the pace this was done without the relevant
foreign assistance. To cite on example I must mention the single
vent that took place at the Rockfeller Foundation Centre at
Bellagio village, near Lake Commo, italy; where all donor
countries of the West philanthropic Foundations like Rockfeller,
Ford, Nuffield, Carnagie participated fully to allocate
resources to establish national higher learning institutions.
All the newly independent nations in East Africa, namely Kenya
Uganda and Tanzania were presented. I happen to be one of the
surviving member of the Tanzania team.
- It was at the conference in november 1963 that resource
reallocation were made and Tanzania which was the most backward
was generously funded and what you see today i.e. the relatively
modern campuses n which then made up the Dar es Salaam
University College were constructed. On July 1, 1970 the
University College became the University of Dar es Salaam -
Tanzania first University. By 1974, 673 graduates were expected
, and by the late 1970's the member was over 1,000. The same
could be said of the pace at which human resources development
has been implemented.
- The third point I wish to tuch on is the increasing attention
being paid to the examination of the evolution o ideas on
how best the relationship between the universities and the
societies in which they happen to be located can viewed. Much as
earlier priority was put on establishing as many universities as
effective demand required, there has been nevertheless a
constant search for curricula which would be deemed appropriate
as the environment in which universities operated changed from
one phase of post-colonial Africa to the other. It has
constantly been emphasized that the universities especially in
Africa in general and in Tanzania in particular could not for
long operates as ivory towers isolated from the societal
concerns of the countries in which they were located
universities had to persist in their legitimate pursuit of
academic excellency while at the same time incorporating in
their curricula the equally legitimate preoccupation of
citizen of countries in which universities are located.
- CONCLUSION
My remarks here cannot be anything but a standard
philosophy and policy guideline of many universities. Knowing
your long history o Higher Education I feel we need to sit down
and listen to you and learn from your rich experience and
wisdom.
My university is indeed honoured by your visit which I hope will
open a new chapter of understanding and cooperation. Once again
I say you are most welcome - "Karibuni Sana".
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INVITATION TO THE UDSM SIXTH ANNUAL
CONSULTATIVE WORKSHOP ON THE INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME
UDSM-2000
16-17TH SEPTEMBER 1999 HELD AT MUCHS
It is my belief that the reform program you intend
to come out with will focus on identifying your customer wishes and
needs and how to satisfy such wish and needs Your mission statement
should focus on the above.
Mr.Vice Chancellor, every one understands that we
are operating in an environment where resources are scarce. With
this in mind, you required that your process are effective and in
alignment with the needs and expectation of your customers and
stakeholders. Redundant or non-contributing processes sap the
institution critically needed resources.
Flexibility and responsiveness are essential in
today's environment. A critical success component is effective
execution and in today's complex environment this requires ability
of a diverse group of people to effectively work together and
achieve desired results.
Without results there can be no personal or organizational
success. Vision, process and execution are all focused on obtaining
results. In order to assure results you need to build in the means
to measure accomplishment against clear and agreed GOAL. I believe
that in the two days you will be here you will have the above
done.
Mr.Vice chancellor, allow me now to select one of
your stake holder and evaluate there wishes and needs. The public of
the united republic of Tanzania is one of your major stakeholders.
People at all levels throughout the world are responding to the
challenges by global economy, that it self relies heavily on
knowledge and information. In the world of global knowledge, we
stand no chance unless we change our strategy. Literacy no longer
means being able to read and write.
It has often been said that knowledge is power, however I tell you
that knowledge is also a driving force-the-power to economic
development. Ever since the industrial revolution, the world has
been divided into Rich countries and Poor countries or developed and
developing. The East Asia has shown that the gap ca be narrowed. One
of the key ingredients of the east Asia was closing the knowledge
gap with the developed countries, illustrating that economic growth
is as much a result of an increase in knowledge, as an increase in
capital and ither resources. I am referring to country like Japan
which now is a dominant partner in the automobile industry-closing
the gap through technological advancement.
The public of Tanzania has vested the responsibility of bridging the
knowledge gap to you. { The measure of achieving this is also simple
just compare the gap between Tanzania and the developed countries,
if the gap is growing then you are not delivering.}let me quality
this statement by saying that since there are other players in this
vocation they should accept equal responsibility.
The knowledge developed should not be available to few people, but
rather transformed into simple understandable information which
should reach the whole nation, which as I said will be the power for
individual economic development. The public needs to trust your
institution for correct simplified program aiming at solving
societies problem. You need to show well-researched solution on day
to day problem.
An area I feel have not received appropriate knowledge transfer is
the question of malaria. Malaria is by far reported to be world's
major killer disease. Malaria kills more people than any other
communicable disease except Tuberculosis.
Globally, it is estimated that each year, 300-500 Million people
become infected with Malaria. It is estimated that mortality due to
Malaria is over million deaths each year. 90% of all Malaria cases
are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Most who die are children under five years
especially in remote rural areas with poor access to health care. According
to research conducted by malaria Foundation International, Globally
between 200 - 300 children die from Malaria each hour. It is a death
toll that exceeds the mortality rate from AIDS.
More than any other diseases, Malaria hit the poor. Malaria epidemic
countries are some of the world's poorest. Costs to countries
include costs for control and lost workdays estimated to be 4% up to
5% of , GDP in Africa. For individual costs include the price of treatment
and prevention and lost income.
Rural communities are particularly affected. In rural areas, the
raining season is often a time of intense agricultural activity.
When poor families earn most of their annual income. Malaria can
make these families even poorer.
African children under five years of age are chronic victims of
Malaria, suffering an average of six bouts a year. Fatally -
affected children often die less than 72 hours after developing
symptoms. In those children who survive, Malaria also drains vital
minerals from them. Impairing their physical and intellectual
development Malaria is one of the principle reasons for poor school attendance.
The estimated costs of Malaria, in terms of strains on the health
system and economic activity lst, are enormous. In affected
countries, as many as 3 in 10 beds are occupied by victims of
Malaria.
In Africa, where malaria reaches a peak at harvest time and his
young adult, especially hard, a single bout of the disease costs an
estimated equivalent of 10 working days.
In our Country, Malaria is a lading killer which I believe has been
on the increase rather than diminish, the public has not been told
whether some one is looking for solution or not. Are there no
permanent solution to this genocide scourge? As this Malaria pandemic
was not enough torture to the nation there is now new situation.
According to the Guardian news paper issue of August 19th this year:
there was this headline: Most Tanzanians now immune to malaria drugs
According to senior lecture at MUCHS Dr.Zulfikar Premji told that
newspaper that: More than 50% of Tanzanians do not respond to
Malaria drugs because the parasites have became resistant. The
situation had posed major problem in treating the disease. Well here
I am like bringing coal to newcastle. But for me as a layman I am
scared there is yet a new phenomena linked to Malaria. The killing
of the odl and aged women in some parts of Tanzania has been linked
to the Malaria problem. Upon death o a child parents having no acces
to medical doctor resort to a fortune teller, who also having no
medical knowledge gives them a short answer, pointing finger at the
only men, the parents revenges for death the child by killing some
else. They have no knowledge that the death is a result of a
mosquito. Here is an area you can contribute to transfer the knowledge
to those people The public expects you to be the leader whenever
there is a controversy in the society.
The other area, which bothers m, is the role of the donors. One gets
the impression that we have not being able to properly tell the
impact and the seriousness of ur problems and where we get help we
are not very keen to appreciate. Take the example o the Japanese
funded project for malaria eradicationn for Dar es Salaam. First o
all there was no serious preparation this and the result was just a
waste of time and resources. I dont know what will the Japanese reaction
be if we went to them again with a request to fight Malaria! It is
everybody's guess.
On the other hand we have to look at the donor's behavior and
treatment or response to poor rations problem. Sometimes I am
compelled to see element of double standards. Take the example of
Kosovo. The amount of resources and technology employed to deal with
one recast rant dictator. The cost one aircraft The Harrier fighter
is roughly US$15 million. Bombing of Yugoslavia for one months did
cost $2Billion. Cruise missiles cost $650,000 each (193) were fired
in the first 11 days.
Lastly, Mr.Chairman, I believe Muhimbili which I see included in the
program is also faced with a challenge of a better service.
Organizations and clinicians who regard service as unimportant fail
to recognize the intimate relationship between clinical outcome and
how people feel about the way you interact with them in all phases
of their treatment.
You owe patients correct and effective medical care but also you owe
them dignity, respect, promptness, comfort, information and convenience.
Your mission should include envision o a system of
care in which those who give can boast about their work and those
who receive care can feel total trust and confidence in the care
there are receiving.
The following may be areas of focus:
1. Access to medical care.
2. Promptness in delivery cares.
3. Reducing waits and delays.
4. Improving patients satisfaction in the emergency department.
Once again I say thank you.
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Speeches by Paul Bomani on May 8th 1955 at
Public Meeting in Dar es Salaam
organized by TANU and attended by about 1,000 people.
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