Dr.

Shein inaugurates new SUZA campus in Pemba

Honourable Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, the President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council
also the Chancellor of the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) inaugurated the new SUZA campus at Mchanga
mdogo in North Pemba on Tuesday 25th August, 2015. This campus under the name Benjamin William Mkapa,
before being under SUZA outfit was used as Teachers Training College bearing the same name.
During this colourful event, Dr. Shein declared that a university is an important institution worldwide used to
accelerate social and national advancement in various fields through raising skilled human resource capacity.
He said that apart from offering a variety of academic courses the university has a basic responsibility of
conducting research for the sake of finding and solving different challenges that confront the society as well as
to offer consultation. This extension will benefit Zanzibar and Tanzania as whole and will engage in
educational development activities that are well aligned with government priorities, he added.

Hon. Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, the President of Zanzibar and

Chairman of the Revolutionary Council also the SUZA
Chancellor cuts the ribbon to officially inaugurate the campus.

Hon. Dr. Shein opens the curtains to display the inauguration plaque.

Dr. Shein informed the public that there is every reason for Pemba inhabitants and Zanzibaris overall to applaud
and feel proud for the inauguration of this campus as many youngsters from Pemba have been following higher
education opportunities in Unguja, mainland Tanzania and overseas. A fresh development page is now
opened, the State University of Zanzibar has spread its wings here in Pemba, Dr. Shein said.
He urged the parents and guardians to insist their children to invest in education by working hard and increase
efforts in their studies in order for them to be able to qualify and fully utilize the opportunity of having the
university campus in their proximity.
Dr. Shein requested the SUZA community to preserve and extend the progress achieved since its inception
fourteen years ago. He also advised them to prioritize in carrying out researches by collaborating with
Tanzanian institutions such as Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) in addition to
strengthening relationship with other internal and external universities.

Hon. Dr. Shein in a group photo with some Zanzibar government

leaders during the inauguration.

One of the buildings of the SUZA Benjamin William Mkapa

Campus.

Welcoming Dr. Shein, Hon. Ali Juma Shamuhuna, the Zanzibar Minister for Education and Vocational
Training congratulated him for keeping his promise of introducing the wing of the State University of Zanzibar
in Pemba. You have accomplished your promise and proved yourself to be a man of action, we are now all
happy and I am sure that there will be effective usage of this university campus, Hon. Shamuhuna said.
Earlier, Ms. Khadija Bakari, the Principal Secretary Ministry of Education and Vocational Training said that the
establishment of SUZA campus in Pemba would increase the number of enrolled students from Pemba and at
the same time minimize the trouble of chasing for higher education in far places.
On his side, Prof. Idris Rai, the SUZA Vice Chancellor said that since Dr. Shein entered into power to lead the
seventh phase government, Zanzibar has made tremendous progress in all sectors including education. Dr.
Shein has positively managed to change the outlook of Zanzibar society and he has always been telling
Zanzibaris to avoid business as usual working attitude in boosting development, Prof. Rai notified.
Prof. Rai informed that the campus during the forthcoming academic year will take over Diploma in Primary
Education programme from the former Benjamin William Mkapa Teachers Training College and put in
Diploma in Science with Education in addition to various short term professional courses such as Information
Technology, Entrepreneurship, Foreign languages and other programmes. More advanced programmes will be
introduced soon, Prof. Rai added.
The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) has over thirty full time programmes ranging from postgraduate,
undergraduate, diploma and certificate; it has also an immense short time programmes administered under the
School of Continuing and Professional Education (SCOPE. So far SUZA has four campuses of Tunguu which
is the main, Nkrumah, Vuga and the newly inaugurated Benjamin William Mkapa. The number of SUZA
campuses is soon expected to increase as the merging process with some other Zanzibar learning institutions is
underway.