UNESCO-ICHEI visited Tanzania fostering collaboration with HEIs
From 4 to 6 August 2025, Ms. YUAN Xin, Programme Officer of the Global Partnership and Programme Office at the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI), visited Tanzania. During the visit, she held discussions with representatives from UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office, University of Dodoma, University of Dar es Salaam, and State University of Zanzibar. This visit marked a significant step forward in UNESCO-ICHEI’s cooperation efforts in Tanzania and represented important progress in expanding the International Institute of Online Education (IIOE) network in East Africa. It laid a solid foundation for deepening UNESCO-ICHEI’s presence in Tanzania and advancing regional collaboration in higher education digital transformation.
Tanzania places great importance on the digital transformation of higher education, advocating for the use of technology to enhance educational equity and quality. In 2025, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of Tanzania released the National Digital Education Strategy, 2024/25–2029/30, which emphasizes promoting the modernization of university curricula, actively adopting online and blended teaching modes, building a learner-centered innovative higher education ecosystem, and enhancing digital skills and teaching quality. Against this background, IIOE will deepen its collaboration with Tanzanian higher education institutions, tailoring its approach to meet their specific needs. By leveraging its experience and resources in higher education digital transformation, IIOE will focus on the localised development of digital skills and AI literacy for educators, supporting Tanzania’s higher education sector in moving towards a more quality and inclusive digital future.
Promoting higher education digital transformation through collaboration with UNESCO field office During the visit, Ms. YUAN Xin met with Mr. Michel Toto, Director of the UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office, and Ms. Faith Shayo, Head of Education Sector, to have in-depth discussions on advancing the digital transformation of higher education in Tanzania and the East African region. Both parties reached a preliminary consensus on cooperation regarding the integration of IIOE platform resources, the localisation of course content, and teacher capacity-building. Future discussions will explore potential collaboration opportunities, such as jointly organising national-level seminars and regional cooperation initiatives. Ms. Shayo stated that UNESCO-ICHEI's experience in digital infrastructure development and capacity-building for universities is highly inspiring for East African countries. The UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office is willing to play a bridging role to support the localisation of the IIOE projects and resources in Tanzania. UNESCO-ICHEI visited UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office
Fostering high-quality project collaboration by aligning with university needs UNESCO-ICHEI delegation visited three Tanzanian universities, University of Dodoma, University of Dar es Salaam, and State University of Zanzibar, and established preliminary partnership relations with each institution. All three universities demonstrated strong commitment to the digital transformation of education. Professor Lughano Jeremy Kusiluka, Vice Chancellor of the University of Dodoma; Professor Nelson M. K. Boniface, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of Dar es Salaam; Dr. Khamis Haji, Head of the Directorate of Undergraduate Studies, Department at the State University of Zanzibar, and other representatives, respectively shared their institutions' recent progress in areas such as improving teachers' digital literacy, implementing digital teaching methods, and applying digital resources. During the discussions, UNESCO-ICHEI introduced the IIOE global alliance and expressed its commitment to exploring concrete avenues of collaboration with the three universities. This will be based on the IIOE platform, training systems, and course resources, with a focus on teacher capacity-building and the co-creation and sharing of digital resources. All three universities expressed strong interest in joining IIOE and collaborating on initiatives such as faculty training by leveraging the IIOE platform and resources, aiming to further advance their institutional digital education reforms. Moving forward, UNESCO-ICHEI will work closely with the three universities to strengthen regional cooperation and support Tanzanian higher education institutions in playing a greater role in the digital transformation of education across East Africa and globally. UNESCO-ICHEI vistied University of Dodoma, University of Dar es Salaam, and State University of Zanzibar
About UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office The UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office was established in 1974, serving as an important international organisation in East Africa. It is dedicated to promoting sustainable development in the fields of education, culture, science, and communication. The office plays a key role in advancing educational equity, enhancing teacher capacity, and promoting the integration of ICT in education. About University of Dodoma The University of Dodoma, located in the capital city of Dodoma, Tanzania, is a nationally recognised public higher education institution. Since its official establishment in 2007, it has developed rapidly and has become one of the largest comprehensive universities in the country. The university includes a variety of colleges, including those in education, information and communication technology, natural sciences, health sciences, and humanities, with a focus on nurturing talent with technological literacy and innovative capabilities. In recent years, the University of Dodoma has actively responded to the "National Digital Education Strategy," making continuous progress in campus network development, learning management system deployment, and teacher digital skills training. It is one of the leading institutions in Tanzania driving the digital transformation of education. About University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam, established in 1961, is the oldest and one of the most academically influential public universities in Tanzania. It has produced numerous national leaders, scholars, and professionals across various sectors. As a key driver of higher education reform in the country, the university has made significant achievements in the development of open educational resources, digital libraries, and interdisciplinary digital course offerings. It has also participated in several international education initiatives. The university houses a dedicated College of Information and Communication Technologies, responsible for ICT education and research. In recent years, it has actively pursued reforms in digital teaching models and faculty training, contributing to the enhancement of digital capacity across Tanzanian higher education institutions. About State University of Zanzibar The State University of Zanzibar is one of the most representative public higher education institutions in the Zanzibar region of Tanzania. The university has academic and research units in education, information technology, languages, health sciences, and tourism management. In recent years, the State University of Zanzibar has focused on promoting digital transformation in regional higher education, especially through innovative efforts in localised content development, the construction of distance education platforms, and teacher digital literacy training. The university also actively participates in multiple digital education projects in collaboration with the United Nations and African regional organisations, playing an important exemplary role in the development of higher education in island areas.
