UDSM lunches new institutes

Dar es Salaam.  The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) will next week officially inaugurate two Institutions which will help improvethe agricultural sector and increase the number of medical doctors in public hospitals.

The institutions are College of Agricultural Sciences and Fisheries Technology (CoASFT) and School of Health Sciences which will be launched on Tuesday and Monday next week respectively.

CoASFT deputy Principal Prof Masoud Muruke and UDSM Vice Chancellor Prof Mukandala Rwekaza announced the launch yesterday in Dar es Salaam, where they observed that the institutions will help addressing persistent challenges facing the sectors.

Prof Muruke said the agricultural college will begin to offer five degree programs whereas about 300 students are already enrolled for this academic year.

“We will increase other six programmes in the next academic years,” said Prof Muruke.

He was aware about the presence of the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) which is dealing with agriculture, but precaution was talked in order to ensure that we do not offer the same programmes.

“We discussed with them (SUA) before we introduce this college,” he said.

According to him, one degree programme titled Bachelor in Beekeeping Science and Technology will be the first to be offered in East Africa Countries agriculture universities.

“Our main focus is post-harvest, packaging, marketing and crop processing which are still lagging behind in Tanzania,” he said.

Prof Muruke said there are many problems facing agriculture sector which cannot be addressed by the only university present in Tanzania, and that more colleges are needed.

For his part Prof Mukandala said the School of Health Science will comprise five degree programmes, and that already 150 doctor in medicine students have been enrolled.

“We will continue to launch other programmes in future,” said Prof Mukandala.

Prof Mukandala said statistics from the ministry of Health and Social Welfare shows the shortage of medical personnel is 60 per cent hence the health school has come at the right time.

The university has entered contract with the Mbeya referral regional hospital for practical training which will enhance competence of medical doctors.

He added that UDSM is in the process of build teaching hospital.