By Prosper Makene
The National Institute of Transport (NIT) has established 13 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several stakeholders to ensure the development of high quality and market relevant training programmes are well implemented.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, the Institute’s Rector Eng. Prof Zacharia Mganilwa said: “Just in one year from August 2020 and August 2021, we have established 13 MoUs as a move to improve the learning skills in accordance with the market demand.”
Prof Mganilwa named the Institute that established collaborations with the NIT including Kenya Coast National Polytechnic in marine training, Nairobi’s based Kenya Aeronautical College in aviation training and Dire Dawa Polytechnic.
Others include Songoro Marine Transport in the areas of maritime, Super Star Forwarders Co Ltd in logistics, Project Concern International (Logistics), Marine Services Company Limited (Maritime training), Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) in aviation training, MS-TCDC Training Centre (Gender and Governance), National Aviation Service (NAS) in aviation training and Tanzania Meteorological Agency in aviation training.
He pointed out that the aim of the establishing MoUs with partners is to collaborate in academic exchange programmes, research activities, curricula development and capacity building.
NIT’s Rector underscored that the MoUs are part of fulfilling the objectives of the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).
“These partnerships have been made possible with support from the EASTRIP Project as we are now transforming our School of Aviation and Technology into the Centre of Excellence in Aviation and Technologies in Tanzania and the region,” he said.
“With the MoUs that we have signed with Regional Institutions will support the needs of the EASTRIP project which wants to see regional students and academic staff moving from one country to another,” he said.
Noting, “The other MoUs with non-academic institutions will help our students and staff in provision of placements for industrial attachments.” The NIT Rector and Accountable Manager (as recognized by the Aviation Industry) went on saying that the lecturers from Regional Institutions that pacts with the Institute will come at NIT to provide their expertise.
“Our academic staff will also go to the Regional Institutions that we have collaborated with, for the exchange programme and sharing the spirit of experiences,” he said.
He further pointed out another benefit that NIT gets from these collaborations with stakeholders is the improvement of curriculums for demand driven programmes.
“During the industrial attachment, our academic staff is involved in identifying various challenges at the ground and taking the necessary steps to address them,” he said.
The Writer works with the communications department at NIT
