The move comes just a day after the university launched the School of Medicine.
Speaking at the event UDSM Vice Chancellor Professor Rwekaza Mukandala said he was glad that the college has been opened because it had divided the institution’s board with some opposing the move.
Dar es Salaam. The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) has launched a College of Agricultural Sciences and Fisheries Technology which has started to offer five degree courses in Agriculture and Fisheries based at its main campus.
The move comes just a day after the university launched the School of Medicine.
Speaking at the event UDSM Vice Chancellor Professor Rwekaza Mukandala said he was glad that the college has been opened because it had divided the institution’s board with some opposing the move.
“During past university board meetings we discussed possibilities of reopening this college but some members opposed the idea,” said Prof Mukandala.
Prof Mukandala added that it was important for a university of UDSM status to offer multi-disciplinary courses including agriculture -based courses which are very crucial to the country.
He said one of the reasons to inaugurate the college was to acknowledge the role of agriculture countrywide.
Agriculture is said to account for 24 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) and 30 per cent of total exports. On the other hand, fisheries sector is said to contribute between 1.3 to 5 per cent of the GDP while sea food contributes about 30 per cent of animal protein consumption in Tanzania.
“The university aims at producing a class of professionals in agriculture and fisheries that will help the struggle of the sector’s growth of which almost 80 per cent of the Tanzanians’ activities depend on” he added.
Professor Mukandala lastly advised the new college’s board to consider initiating short time courses that will give a chance to students, farmers and stake holders to learn diverse portions of knowledge in agro-fisheries sector.
