THE government through the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project plans to train more than 1,000 lecturers in efforts to curb shortage of the academic staff in the country.
The five-year project through the World Bank support aimed at promoting higher education as a catalytic force in the new Tanzanian economy.
Responding to a question by Special Seats MP Paulina Nahato (CCM), Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology Omary Kipanga informed the House on Thursday that through the project, the government will also improve infrastructure in higher learning institutions by building new campuses and universities in the country.
He said the project will finance training of more than 1,000 lecturers of who 625 will undergo further studies while about 400 will undergo short cause training.
"We believe that through the program we can reduce the shortage of lecturers in the country," he said.
He explained that the government also has been issuing permits for recruiting new lecturers adding that the higher education institutions also have programs of financing studies of some lecturers and employ some academic staff on contractual basis.
Mr Kipanga said that through the project the government will construct a new public university in Butiama - Mwalimu Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology with capacity to enroll 5,620 students.
He also said that new campuses will be built through the project such as University of Dar es Salaam campus in Lindi region to accommodate 360 students, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Mloganzaila campus with capacity of 11,000 students and Sokoine University of Agriculture Mizengo Pinda campus in Katavi with capacity of 2,500 students.
Others are Mbeya University of Science and Technology campus in Rukwa with 3,000 students' capacity.
"The project will also facilitate construction of new campuses in marginal satellite cities including Kagera, Tanga, Kigoma, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Simiyu, Ruvuma, Manyara and Singida," he said.
The deputy minister further detailed that the project is also expected to improve a total of 19 higher education institutions by constructing 34 hostels which will have capacity of accommodating 9,042 students.
A total of 130 lecture rooms will be built under the project which will accommodate (27,254), laboratories (7,850), 23 conference halls, agriculture infrastructure and 10 incubation centres.
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Mr Kipanga further noted that, in effort to ensure that the country produce the required experts in the country the government is currently holding talks to see the possibility of collaborating with other universities outside the country for Tanzanian students to benefit from courses which are not offered in the country.
He said that the government has increased budget for higher education students' loans thus benefiting more students.
In her basic question, Nahato wanted to know the government plans to increase infrastructure in higher learning institutions following an increasing number of students.
The Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project will help strengthen the capacity and quality of select universities and institutes to prepare faculty, researchers, and graduates, and to build a strong and flexible, high skilled workforce that can address Tanzania's development challenges.
