Dar es Salaam. Nearly a decade after the East African Community (EAC) launched the Common Higher Education Area (CHEA), aimed at facilitating academic mobility and regional integration, questions remain over its actual impact and implementation.
Tanzania, through the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), has taken deliberate steps to align its higher education system with regional standards coordinated by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA).
CHEA’s core pillars include curriculum harmonisation, credit transfer, quality assurance, recognition of qualifications, and cross-border student and staff mobility.
“We’ve made commendable progress aligning Tanzania’s higher education with regional frameworks,” a TCU official told The Citizen yesterday in an interview.
“But full effectiveness depends on mutual commitment from all EAC partner states.”
Where it works
Tanzania has adopted the Regional Qualifications Framework (RQF), which facilitates mutual recognition of academic outcomes. Several programmes in engineering, ICT, and health sciences have been harmonised with regional standards.
“The adoption of RQF is crucial. A student starting in Tanzania can now continue studies in Kenya or Uganda, provided institutions meet IUCEA standards,” said IUCEA Executive Secretary Gaspard Banyankimbona during a recent event.
Institutions like University of Dar es Salaam and Ardhi University have revised their curricula to meet IUCEA templates, supporting cross-border academic engagement.
TCU also actively participates in IUCEA’s external audits to strengthen quality assurance.
“Our quality systems are now interlinked. A degree from a recognised Tanzanian university is increasingly accepted in partner states,” said a higher education consultant, Dr Mussa Chacha.
Universities such as Institutions such as Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha host students from Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, showcasing regional collaboration.
Additionally, joint research initiatives—particularly in agriculture, ICT, and health—have increased under IUCEA-backed programmes.
Where it falls short
Despite these gains, challenges persist in fully realising the CHEA vision. Tanzanian graduates often face hurdles when applying for further studies in Kenya or Uganda, especially in regulated professions like law and medicine, where additional verification or bridging is required.
“There’s still mistrust among professional regulatory bodies. A Tanzanian graduate isn’t always automatically accepted in Kenya,” said an education policy analyst based in Nairobi, Dr Felix Mburu.
Student mobility across the region remains limited. High tuition fees for non-citizens, lack of scholarships, visa barriers, and limited awareness hinder progress.
“Only a few elite students study across borders. The rest are constrained by cost and bureaucracy,” said a former student leader at the University of Dodoma, Ms Nasra Mwakyusa.
While TCU ensures academic alignment, professional bodies like the Medical Council of Tanganyika, Law School of Tanzania, and Engineers Registration Board often operate independently—limiting automatic qualification recognition.
Why this alignment matters
Experts stress that regional education alignment is essential to addressing youth unemployment across EAC countries.
“Education without employability is incomplete. CHEA, if fully implemented, could open up the job market regionally,” said an education economist with UNESCO, Ms Halima Shayo. For instance, a Tanzanian computer science graduate could compete for tech jobs in Nairobi or Kigali—reducing underemployment and brain drain.
“This alignment is key to regional development and labour mobility,” she added.
To make CHEA more effective, experts call for: Increased political will from partner states, harmonised professional licensing systems across borders, scaling up regional scholarship schemes and greater public awareness on the benefits of regional academic integration.
While TCU is playing its part, more coordination is needed from bodies like Kenya’s Commission for University Education (CUE), Uganda’s NCHE, and Rwanda’s HEC to streamline processes. To truly live the EAC dream, education must become borderless,” Dr Mburu emphasised.
