THE Chief Justice (CJ), Professor Ibrahim Juma, has urged law undergraduate students to change their mind set and find new knowledge and skills to add on their academic qualifications as way becoming competitive in the labour market within and outside Tanzania.
Prof Juma made the appeal over the weekend at the inauguration of the Legal Aid Clinic at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College (TUDARCO).
The CJ said the preparation of law students to become legal professionals and compete in the labour market after graduation should begin at the university with their personal efforts to recognise the great changes in technology that occur every day.
"These changes require students to read more and find new knowledge, skills and understanding of what is contained in the curriculum, the goal is to increase their competitive employability," he said.
Prof Juma explained that some Universities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia have begun to redesign their curricula by adding studies in other fields, such as business and the use of technology and Artificial Intelligence, as part of the Law Degree studies.
"You have a very good chance to study and improve yourself beyond law curriculum. For example, the presence of the School of Business Studies is an important opportunity to start thinking about redesigning the curricula of the Law Degree so that the graduate is also filled with knowledge and competence in the field of business that will increase his employability," he said.
The CJ pointed out that the competition for employment opportunities inside and outside Tanzania has reached a situation where a law graduate without having the ability and knowledge to rely on the studies they have studied, will fail to compete in a world that is moving from analog to all services being provided and available digitally.
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Speaking about the Legal Aid Centre, Chairman of the TUDARCO Board of Directors and the Head of the Eastern and Coastal Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, Bishop Dr Alex Malasusa, said their goal is to provide legal services to poor Tanzanians, who cannot afford legal services.
He said the establishment of the centre is in line with the College's five-year Strategic Plan (2020-2025) in providing various services to the Tanzanian community, especially those around the College.
Earlier, speaking at the event,TUDARCO Principal, Professor Burton Mwamila told the CJ that the presence of the Legal Aid Centre at the college will be an important part for students learning in practice what they study in class, in relation to provision of services to the community.
Prof Mwamila said that the launch of the centre is proof of the college's mission to promote its response and responsibility to society.
