Nathan Belete, the country director for Tanzania for the World Bank, was impressed with the work carried out by the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology through programs supported by the World Bank and the dedication of the institution’s leadership to promote gender inclusion in their programs during his official visit to the institution on Monday, October 9, 2023, in Arusha. 

“The World Bank is very delighted to be associated with and to have helped fund some of the important work carried out by this organisation. According to Mr. Belete, social education is a top priority for the World Bank in Tanzania. To meet industry and Labor market demands, activities like what we have seen here in ict, research and innovation, agriculture, and science in general are essential” said Mr. Nathan Belete.

He continued by saying that the World Bank is ready to continue its partnership with Nelson Mandela in their program going forward as the Tanzanian government, led by President Hon. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, invests in human development and education.

The importance of promoting quality, the effects of activity growth in the nation, the development of a new program’s curriculum to help promote and draw in more students, and engaging public-private partnerships to align the program with market demands were the four areas of priority he mentioned.

Prof. Maulilio Kipanyula, the vice chancellor, has stated that Mr. Nathan Belete’s visit to Nelson Mandela is primarily intended to see and personally observe the development of initiatives supported by the bank.

“The goal of all three projects implemented by our institution with the funds of the World Bank is to build the capacity of the institution in the sense of educating teachers, setting operational systems, purchasing IT equipment, and improving teaching and research areas, including the laboratory,” says Professor Maulilio Kipanyula.

Professor Suzana Augustino, the HEET project coordinator at NM AIST, responded by stating that the learning facility had already spent $992, 015 of the total $10 million from the World Bank in implementing the project, which aims to improve the management of the higher education system and strengthen the learning environment.

NM-AIST is accredited by the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and is actively being developed as a research-intensive institution focused on postgraduate and postdoctoral studies and research in Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET).