“It is done so because of the trust and confidence that we have in the Aga Khan University — that the university will contribute to Tanzania’s endeavours to close the human resource gap particularly in the areas of sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and computers,” said President Kikwete, speaking at the State House. “We are proud of that cooperation and I have no doubt in my mind that the Aga Khan University will rise to the expectations of all of us.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam thanked the president, saying “this is a day of immense importance for the Aga Khan University.”
“The basic principle of this university is to invest in people,” explained Hazar Imam. “When we looked at the areas of education that we could become involved in, we found in Asia and Africa that there had been significant underinvestment in people, in education and in healthcare, and we decided this should be the beginning of our academic activity.”
Tanzania is the first country in the East African Community to grant AKU rights under a formal charter written into national law. The university plans to invest over $1.1 billion in East Africa over the next 15 years, with the establishment of a Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and a number of graduate schools.
Mawlana Hazar Imam is in East Africa to preside over the University’s convocations in Dar es Salaam, Kampala and Nairobi, which coincide this year with the 15th anniversary of AKU’s presence in Africa.
