Tanzania: Varsity students moot trade ideas

More universities have joined forces for a business summer school programme, bringing students to craft new solutions to problems that afflict the country’s trade and industry sector.

At least 20 students from the Business Academy Aarhus (Denmark) and 12 others from Hanze University (Netherlands) joined 20 students from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Business School for a two-week summer school programme to reflect the sector’s current needs and challenges.

Mr David said unlike the previous four programmes where it just involved UDSM and the Business Academy Aarhus, this year the programme has received new entrants – the University of Hanze. «The government is embarking upon promotion of industrial development to fuel the economy to a middle income country by 2025.

Participation of processing industries in the undertaking is crucial hence demanding a critical focus to improve its contribution,» he told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

He went on to say that in the sector, adding value to products has been a greater challenge not only for Tanzanians but across the continent. The government through Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) often supports small scale units as they provide employments, generate income and help in alleviating poverty. But a team leader from the Business Academy, Mr Michael Locht, told reporters that the challenge is on providing incentives to expand the units.

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He said that this year’s summer school will help the students generate vibrant ideas which will then be evaluated by a panel of judges with experience in the sector. «The winning ideas will be supported.

It will be the duty of the winning team or individual to implement the idea,» he said, noting the boot-camp will take three days from today and later the teams will meet industrial experts to shape their ideas.

Mr Paul Wabike, a lecturer with Hanze University pointed out that their new involvement in the summer school seeks learning new business challenges in the country and also transform business opportunities available in Netherlands.

«We have just witnessed one of the major challenges in the industry is marketing of the products. This goes with packaging the products,» he said.