By Zephania Ubwani
The Citizen Reporter
Arusha. The East African Community says it will use the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) to implement the science and technology strategy for the region.
Also, where appropriate, the regional organization will connect the Arusha-based pan African university to initiatives or programmes on science, technology and innovation in Africa.
"I am very proud about your existence and that one of the important institutions that Africa needs most is right here in East Africa and closest to the EAC headquarters," said the secretary general of the Community Dr. Richard Sezibera.
He said NM-AIST, also known as the Nelson Mandela University, should be transformed to be a real centre of excellence in science, technology and engineering (SET) in Africa.
"Certainly, this is an enormous task. However, with the commitment of all of us in the Community, this is a mission worth pursuing", he said during his visit to the institution on the outskirts of Arusha recently.
Dr. Sezibera said although the EAC does not have funds to support the university in addressing various challenges, it has connections and networks that will be equally beneficial to the institution.
Continent-wide SET progammes currently underway and in which NM-AIST can be involved include Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) of 2014 and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.
The Community boss revealed that since the university was established to cater for the eastern and southern regions of Africa, they were trying to see how it can be slowly integrated into the EAC system, including active participation the EAC Science and Technology Commission and the East African Health Research Commission.
"I will take this matter with my colleagues in the srecretariat; first to create awareness about your mandates and your activities so that you are better known than currently is the case", he pointed out.
Conversely, Dr. Sezibera added, EAC needed to benefit from the wealth of human resources and knowledge, skills and competences in various areas of SET available there or undertake assignments which the Secretariat require scientific expertise.
During the visit, NM-AIST vice chancellor Prof. Burton Mwamila gave an overview of the activities of the institution which was established a few years ago as one of the pan African institutions of science and technology.It was officially inaugurated in October 2012. Tanzania government spent $60 million to put up the current structures.
The institutions are a brainchild of the former South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela who envisioned training and developing the next generation of African scientists and engineers with the view of impacting on the continent's development through the application of science, engineering, technology and innovation (SETI).
"Our vision is to become a world-class institution of higher learning, dedicated to the pursuit and promotion of excellence in SETI and their applications for economic growth and sustainable development in Tanzania and sub-Saharan Africa", he said.
The institute's mission is to deliver and promote high quality and internationally competitive teaching and learning, research and innovation and public service in SETI leveraging on entrepreneurship for enhanced value-addition to people and natural resources.
The overall goal of NM-AIST, he stressed, is to catalyze development of world class science, engineering, technology and innovationt through production of high quality scientists and engineers in Tanzania and East Africa "in order to stimulate economic growth and employment creation.'
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