ARUSHA: Tanzania's universities and policymakers must address the burgeoning role of artificial intelligence in higher education, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology Wanu Hafidh Ameir stated on Wednesday. Speaking at the opening of the third Five University Consortium (5UC) Conference in Arusha, Ameir emphasized the necessity for discussions on AI guidelines to evolve alongside its swift adoption in Tanzanian higher education.
According to Aga Khan University, the three-day conference, hosted by the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), convened the consortium's five members: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), NM-AIST, Aga Khan University (AKU), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), and Canada's Simon Fraser University (SFU). Scholars from 13 universities across Africa and Europe also participated. The Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Emily Burns, attended the opening session.
The conference, themed 'From Dialogue to Impact: Integrating Science, Technology, Policy and Climate Resilience for a Sustainable Future,' aims to extend university research beyond academia into government policy, industry, and community practice. AKU Provost and Vice President, Academic Professor Tania Bubela, highlighted the need for universities to ensure knowledge translates into improved policies, technologies, and practices.
This meeting aligns with Tanzania's Development Vision 2050, which emphasizes environmental integrity and resilience to climate change as key development pillars, identifying science, technology, research, and innovation as transformation drivers. Projects such as the Kikohozi Classifier and research at AKU's Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre were showcased as examples of AI applications in healthcare and environmental sustainability.
The consortium has previously held conferences at UDSM and SUA, and plans to continue expanding collaborative research, faculty and student exchanges, and shared infrastructure to strengthen research pathways for policy shaping and community engagement.