France reaffirms commitment to support Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. The governments of France and Tanzania have agreed to strengthen existing bilateral relations by fostering partnerships and strategies between higher learning institutions and research entities from the two countries in a win-win approach.

French ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Frederic Clavier, said the involved students from both parties will conduct ten research projects, which will focus on developing strategies for achieving sustainable agriculture and climatic changes.

“The projects will produce documents and findings, which will be presented in both countries so that they can be useful,” elaborated Mr Clavier.

He added that the whole project would help to accelerate mobility and capacity building for students of both countries.

The ambassador said the trade volume between the two countries stood at Euro100 million (Sh260 billion) per year.

Prof Adam Mwakalobo, the director of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training said since the project was keen to address agriculture and climatic change, it will be very helpful to the country.

“The project has arisen at the right time because in achieving industrialisation and a mid-sized economy, Tanzania must protect the environment,” he said.

The two-year project, which will commence with three information centres in the county will involve selected ongoing Masters and PhD students of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) and the State University of Zanzibar. The two universities will also act as information centres and the third will be Alliance Francaise in the city.

For his part, the deputy vice chancellor for research at UDSM, Prof Cuthbert Kimambo, said to make the findings sustainable they will work together with respective institutions in the country to implement the project.