UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA ACTIVITIES ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: EXPERIENCE AND CHALLENGES By. H.R.T. Muzale and R. Toba

Administration of External Relations  The present University Links Office  It is primarily concerned with the administration of links with universities & other training institutions,  The scope of link activities will be expanded after the new organisational structure.

University Policy on External Relations  The university policy aims at promoting partnerships in furthering its mission,  However, there is no comprehensive external relations policy and operational procedures,  There is urgent need for a clear operational policy and procedures,  Such a policy will assist and require all UDSM levels to promote effective and active co-operation and partnerships with external institutions including funding agencies.

Relations with the Alumni  The need to develop mutually beneficial contacts with the Alumni has been on the agenda for many years,  A lot of efforts have been made to revive and strengthen the convocation office,  There is now a need for a university policy, structure, plan and procedures for linking up effectively with the alumni,  One way being considered is through the Centre for Continuing Education, e.g. alumni accorded special advantages to participate in the centre’s courses.

Relations with Local and Foreign Donors  The need to develop mutually beneficial contacts with the Alumni has been on the agenda for many years,  The university has successfully established good working relations with foreign donors,  Through these relationships, various projects have been established  e.g. infrastructure, through staff development to research projects,  On the other hand, relations with local donors, except with the government, have not been significant,  There is a need for greater attention to local donors including the need to actively and publicly promote them.

Major Recent Foreign Donors: NUFU & NORAD, – MHO Programme, – The Swiss Government & Sida/SAREC, – GTZ & KfW, – DAAD, – DANIDA, – ENRECA, – Rockefeller Foundation – CARNEGIE Corporation

Relations with Foreign Universities and Institutions  There has been a good number of links between various UDSM units and foreign universities/institutions,  Productivity, effectiveness and impact of the links tend to vary across units,  Generally, the links have contributed enormously in many ways, e.g.  Staff development,  Staff exchange programmes,  Research funding,  Jointly taught postgraduate courses,  Joint research and publication projects,  Sabbatical leave opportunities for academic staff,  Provision of current literature & teaching-learning facilities,  Other aspects of capacity building.

University Plans Aim: to increasing the number, effectiveness and productivity of links with foreign institutions; means:  Establishing a new policy and operational procedures,  Ensuring that linkages adequately benefit both sides,  Reinforcing the university administrative capacity for links,  Establishing a central information sourcing and dissemination on linkages opportunities,  Putting emphasis on collaborative research and staff exchange programmes,  Expanding focus on linkages with regional institutions,  Establishing staff and student exchange programmes,  Establishing clear planning and monitoring of each link,  Establishing transparent management of each link’s affairs.

Specific Achievements  Established the directorate for research and publications,  Prepared the Research Policy and Operational Procedures (1998),  Approved the Operational Policy and Procedures on establishing Professional Research Chairs (1997),  Revised the research agenda that addresses the need for closer ties with industries,  Continued to publish a Research Bulletin,  Established research chairs, funded from local sources,  Grants from central allocation have been rising since ,  Research facilities improved using donor funds,  Established an Institutional Transformation Programme

Constraints  Inadequate funding for research (current funding still donor dependent),  Low research output in terms of papers in peer reviewed journals,  Lack of high technology equipment in cutting edge research (science, medical, engineering),  Limited research management capacity,  Limited capacity to produce fundable proposals,  Reluctance among most local institutions to fund research activities,==>

Constraints ….contd…  Lack of capacity to mobilize and use research funds;  Lack of state of the art equipment and reagents to attract contracted research,  Lack of budget line in annual Government budget to fund research,  Lack of appreciation of local capacity for research by government resulting,  Underutilization of local expertise and capacity,

Constraints ….contd…  Inadequate flow of information from Deans and Directors to Management and entire staff and students,  Poor strategies to support graduates employability,  Poor remuneration package for staff,  Reluctance of donors to support infrastructure,  Lack of clear solution on intellectual property rights.

Year Actual Govt approved Budget Targeted Income Actual Generated Income % of Actual Income to Appvd Govt Budget 2002/03 8,007,229579,811673,9347% 2003/04 8,709,630812,607864, % 2004/05 8,666,5301,109,3891,370, % 2005/06 11,232,0981,357,7781,842, % 2006/07 16,805,7923,764,7344,244, % University Self-generated Income (€)

End = = End = Thank you for Your Attention R. Toba & HRT Muzale