Tanzanian trio win EA scholarships

Arusha. Three young Tanzanian ladies are among 30 winners of post graduate scholarships aimed at boosting centres of excellence in East Africa.

Two, Asya Suleiman Mgeni and Angel Gabriel Meela, will pursue studies at the University of Rwanda, while Winfried Nassazi will be at the Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya.

The scholarships have been organised by the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) under the African Higher Education Centres of Excellence programme.

IUCEA is an institution of the East African Community (EAC) mandated to coordinate harmonisation of higher education and training systems in the region.

The 30 female students have been picked from nine participating countries in the programme; Tanzania,Burundi, Ethiopia,Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi.

“The aim of the scholarship is to enhance the participation of young female scientists at post-graduate level and encourage regional student mobility,” said Agnes Asiimwe,the communication officer with IUCEA.

The programme also aims to identify and groom future leaders in the region in the field of science and technology, she said in a communiqué to The Citizen.

The World Bank sponsored scholarships announced last week will cover the 2018/19 academic year. Another batch of 30 will be picked for the next academic year.

The selected students will study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) under the industry cluster, agriculture, health, education and applied statistics.

“We have no doubt that they come back, they will play meaningful leadership roles in science and technology areas,” said Prof Goolam Mohamedbhai, the chairperson of the selection committee.

Tanzanian universities that will host the training include the Arusha-based Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).

The other one is Sokoine University of Agriculture (Sua) in Morogoro. The two institutions are included in the centres of excellence programme.