TANZANIAN YOUNG SCHOLARS WIN SKILLS UPGRADING SCHOLARSHIPS IN SOUTH KOREA, CHINA

 

BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

At least eleven Tanzanians have  won scholarships in South Korea and China under a process coordinated by the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA). 

They are part of 55 learners from the East African Community (EAC) partner states recently picked to study in the two Far East countries 

Six tutors from the technical institutions will undertake postgraduate studies at top universities in China and are part of 20 picked from the EAC states.

At the same time, five young learners have successfully won interviews to undertake undergraduate studies at Kyundong University in South Korea starting 2023/24. 

The scholarship is part of the World Bank-supported East African Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).

They have been awarded to  tutors from technical and vocational education and training institutes (TVET) to bolster TVET centres of excellence in their respective countries. 

"It is part of the EASTRIP project to improve the quality of TVET programmes in the region", said Prof Gaspard Banyankimbona, the executive director of IUCEA.

Out of the 20 scholarships for the tutors awarded,eight are from Ethiopia, six from Kenya and another six from Tanzania.

Prof Banyankibona expressed gratitude to China for availing the slots and the World Bank for the financial support for the tutors' scholarship programme.

The support, he said, reinforces the commitment of the EAC states to enhance skills and knowledge that would improve the quality and relevance of TVET programmes.

"In the end, this will have a profound impact on reducing youth unemployment through practical hands-on skills development", he said.

The six candidates selected from Tanzania were tutors working at the National Institute of Transport (NIT) and Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) campuses in Dar and Mwanza.

The five young learners from Tanzania picked for admission at the South Korean university will study business administration, smart computing and hotel management.

They are part of 35 applicants who won the scholarship out of a total of 975 from six EAC partner states;Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania. 

The latter scholarship is made possible through funds granted to IUCEA by the partner States and direct support by KDU- Global South Korea. 

IUCEA is an institution of the Community responsible for the coordination of higher educational development and research. 

The Kampala-based institution is also tasked to advise the partner states on  operationalization of EAC Common Higher Education Area.