Tanzania secures 150 Algeria scholarships for top STEM students
Education, Science and Technology Minister Prof Adolf Mkenda addresses journalists in Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s scholarship opportunity for 150 science students to study in Algeria. Under the arrangement, the Algerian government will cover tuition fees, while Tanzania will meet the students’ travel and accommodation costs. PHOTO | COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. The government has secured 150 fully funded study opportunities in Algeria for high performing students selected under the Samia Scholarship programme, widening access to international training in science and technology.
The 150 students will be selected from the 1,000 beneficiaries of the Samia Scholarship programme who were chosen to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses at universities in Tanzania.
Under the new government to government arrangement, Algeria will cover tuition fees, while the Tanzanian government will meet the students’ accommodation and travel costs.
The opportunity is part of government efforts to increase the number of Tanzanian graduates trained in fields critical to the country’s technological and economic development, including artificial intelligence, data science, computing and other emerging technologies.
Speaking at a press conference on September 11, 2026, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Prof Adolf Mkenda said the 150 students would be selected according to their performance in science subjects.
He said students would not have to have studied Advanced Mathematics to qualify, with strong performance in Biology, Physics and Chemistry also being considered.
“Advanced Mathematics is not the only criterion. We will also look at students who performed very well in Biology, Physics and Chemistry,” Prof Mkenda said.
The minister said the government would begin contacting eligible students, with further information expected to be published on the ministry’s website.
The deadline for applications is September 15, giving selected students only a short period to respond.
Prof Mkenda said students who declined the opportunity would be replaced by others who ranked next in the selection process.
He said the government was determined to ensure that financial constraints did not prevent talented students from taking up international study opportunities.
“Because we intended to take them there, we will try to support even a student who has very high ability,” he said.
The government’s decision to meet accommodation and travel costs means the students will receive support beyond tuition fees, which can otherwise make overseas scholarships difficult for students from families unable to meet additional expenses.
More international opportunities
The Algeria scholarships are part of a broader effort to give high-performing Tanzanian students access to international education and training in areas linked to the country’s technological needs.
Prof Mkenda said the government was working to expose students to different education systems and technological environments while also strengthening their practical skills.
“We are trying very hard to train them. We take them to training camps, teach them computer applications and they get international credentials,” he said.
He said the approach was intended to complement university education with practical training and international exposure as Tanzania prepares young people for a labour market increasingly shaped by technology.
The government has also secured fully funded scholarships in Russia for 10 students from the same group of 1,000 Samia Scholarship beneficiaries.
Prof Mkenda said the 10 students were expected to travel to Russia this month to pursue studies in areas including data science, artificial intelligence, computing and machine-related disciplines.
“Those we selected had Advanced Mathematics because they will be studying new technologies and areas such as computing,” he said.
The developments mean the original group of 1,000 Samia Scholarship beneficiaries is also being used to identify students who can take up additional international study opportunities.
The government has increasingly placed STEM education at the centre of its efforts to prepare young Tanzanians for industrialisation, digital transformation and innovation.
The focus is shifting beyond expanding access to higher education to ensuring that graduates acquire the technical and practical skills needed by the economy.
