EU Gives U.S $30.5 Million to Tanzania's Higher Institutions

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania is set to benefit through a European Union (EU) scheme that aims at promoting higher education cooperation in Africa. The Academic Mobility Scheme, has been allocated Tsh47b (about $30.48m) by EU to support higher education in the African Pacific and Caribbean (ACP) countries.

A statement released by EU office to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week said. According to the Head of the EU in Tanzania, Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi, the scheme is managed by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission with support of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the ACP Secretariat.

Ambassador Sebregondi called upon individual Tanzanians and higher learning institutions to make maximum use of the opportunity which he said builds on the African Union's Mwalimu Julius Nyerere programme for Africa.

Mwalimu Nyerere was the first president of Tanzania and father of nation who had a dream to unite African countries. He also wanted Africa to work as a single block and develop as a whole.

"It funds partnerships between higher learning institutions from different countries within these regions, and grants scholarships for students and academics to carry out studies, research or teaching in another country covered by the programme," ambassador Sebregondi said.

An information session on higher education cooperation with focus on the Intra-ACP Academic Mobility Scheme was on 4th March 2013 held at the University of Dar es Salaam attracting the attendance of officials from the Tanzania Ministry of Education, Tanzania Commission of Universities (TCU), Africa Union (AU), ACP Secretariat and the University of Dar es Salaam.