Teaching and Learning

Introduction

Tanzania's current national focus is to speed up socio-economic development. The scientific and technological transformation of the agricultural and industrial sectors is mentioned by several development policies and strategies as a 'must' for this mission to be realized. For instance, the National Development Vision 2025 envisages a link between economic productivity, and competitiveness and advanced technologies. This link is expressly or impliedly stated in so many other national documents including the National Economic Empowerment Policy of 2004; Sustainable Industries Development Policy for 1996-2020; Agricultural Marketing Policy of 2008; Rural Development Strategy of 2001; Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Policy of 2002; National Public Private Partnership (PPP) Policy of 2009; National Higher Education Policy of 1999; Community Development Policy of 1996; and of course, National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty II (NSGRP II) of 2010. The focus of NM-AIST, among other things, corresponds with the National Higher Education Policy of 1999, which among other things, calls for design of programmes that are geared towards responding to the changing world of science and technology, and responding to ever-changing needs of the people, their government, industry, commerce and surrounding environment in general. Such needs are directly captured by NM- AIST's programmatic focus which basically, emphasizes linkage to society and industry, and scientific and technological response to local needs and problems.

The NM-AIST training curricula incorporate strong innovation and entrepreneurship modules, and strong academia-industry relations are part of this institution's development agenda. The institution's curricula also seeks to accommodate, enable, stimulate, catalyze and harness the innovativeness and entrepreneurial qualities (as stipulated in the 2002 SME Policy stated above) inherent in the young generation for the sustainable development of Tanzania and Sub- Saharan Africa.

Distinguishing Features of The NM-AIST Academic Programmes

In the quest for attaining high quality and internationally competitive delivery of teaching and learning in science, engineering and technology, NM-AIST is striving to ensure the following, among other things:

1. Development of adequate and well-functioning world class teaching and learning physical infrastructure and facilities; and
2. Production of top notch SET academics, researchers, techno-preneurs, industry captains and innovation managers.

The NM-AIST is uniquely focused on postgraduate training and research only, and its curricula is, therefore, designed in such a way as to enable the following:-

1. Generation and transformation of knowledge into tangible products, industrial and business solutions, and policy briefs for sustainable development.
2. Promotion of the application of science, engineering, technology and innovation to generate wealth.
3. Promotion of value-addition to natural resources thereby facilitating harnessing of the resources of nature for the benefit of the people and national socio-economic development.
4. Production of high calibre SETI academics and researchers for the growing number of universities and R&D institutions in the country and region.
5. Production of scientists and engineers who will spearhead industrial development through innovation and entrepreneurship.
6. Grooming and nurturing of research and technological spin-offs, thereby catalyzing the growth of the local industry and the private sector.

This way NM-AIST is a total departure from the common academic tendency of most of the other Tanzanian and Eastern African higher learning institutions. Attainment of all the above unique features will certainly make NM-AIST world- class and a centre of excellence, and thereby make Tanzania and EA proud of its existence.