Universities Abroad Link (UAL)
A group of 40 Tanzanian students yesterday left Dar es Salaam for Europe and China to pursue higher education under a special programme known as “Affordable Fee to Study.”
Designed to assist Tanzanians to study abroad at affordable costs, it is coordinated by representatives of overseas universities in Tanzania, Universities Abroad Link (UAL).
Those who left were students who failed to join higher education institutions because of limited vacancies in local higher learning institutions. As a result many students who qualified for admission had to resort to looking for opportunities to study abroad and realise their dreams.
To bid farewell to them at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) was the UAL Country Director, Tony Rodgers Kabetha. He said the institution had started the special programme to help Tanzania students pursue studies abroad at affordable costs like those of tuition fees.
UAL represents universities in the US, UK, Canada, Norway, Australia, India, China and South Africa, he said, explaining:
“Apart from the 40 students leaving today (yesterday) for China and UK, another group of 70 students left a few weeks ago for the US, China and India.”
Kabetha said under this programme students get discounts of 100 per cent, 70 per cent, 50 per cent or 30 per cent on study costs, accommodation and residence. This depends on the type of courses and country a student wants to study, he said.
“For instance, students heading for China are supposed to pay for one year only to study a Chinese foundation course. Afterwards they choose courses they would like to pursue without paying any money until they finish their studies,” said Kabetha, noting that this is part of a programme called ‘Study Chinese and Get a Scholarship.’
Under the affordable fee abroad programme, students pay study and accommodation fees in installments until they complete studies, he said.
Expounding, Kabetha said the aim of the UAL special programme was to assist Tanzanian students undertake courses that largely contribute to national development.
He mentioned the courses as those on oil and natural gas, computer security/cyber system, computer software, business/corporate laws, economics, international trade, medicine and pharmacy.
“These are sensitive and rare subjects…if we get competent Tanzanians in such subjects surely not only will the national economy grow faster than now, but that of individuals as well,” he said.
Mary Simama, one of the students who left for China yesterday (for a degree course in Economics and International Trade), commended the UAL for initiating an education information centre which guides students on the type of courses they want to pursue and which country to take them.
Said another student, Desdery Muyobera, who went to study medicine: “Opportunities offered to Tanzanian students to undergo training on oil and gas will make them experts in that field.
“They will make Tanzania utilise well its resources, spur growth and development of the national as well as individual people’s economies. We thank UAL for introducing such an initiative.”
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
