Former Tanzanian president His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa has called for decisive and servant leadership among the youth, saying that national service is essential to the unity of the people.
President Mkapa made the remarks at Aga Khan University’s 15th convocation ceremony held at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam. A total of 27 students were conferred degrees: 22 received master’s degrees in education while five received master’s degrees in medicine.
“If there is one thing that I believe has defined my career both within government and outside it, it is concern for the common person. Nothing disturbs me more than to see those who have little victimised by those who have much,” President Mkapa said.
He referred to the Founding Father H.E Julius Nyerere’s leadership style, saying he saw the importance of consulting widely and listening carefully before making decisions.
“We must put the monarchical style of leadership behind us. Its time has passed. Our country is diverse and pluralistic, and our world is even more so. It is only proper that we lead in a consultative manner,” His Excellency Benjamin Mkapa said.
The Aga Khan University has equipped nearly 3,000 educators in East Africa with new strategies for enhancing teaching and learning, which has led to better learning outcomes for more than 100,000 students in public and private schools.
In Mwanza, the University together with other agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are working with the government to enhance reproductive, maternal and newborn care in 80 public health facilities.
“Thanks to a 192 billion shilling investment by AKDN and the French Development Agency, the Aga Khan Health Services now has the capacity to serve more than 1 million patients annually,” AKU President Firoz Rasul said. “With this expansion, AKU introduced new programmes, and today we are graduating our first specialists in surgery and internal medicine, along with specialists in family medicine. “
In the last five years, AKU has greatly expanded its reach in the region, launching new schools, institutes and centres which are all integral to AKU’s quest to foster the spirit of anticipation, adaptation and adventure in new generations of young people.
This year’s valedictorian, Dr Klint Massawa, one of the graduates from the master’s in medicine programme said, “We have been exposed to learning skills that are critical for human interaction, the underpinning factor of professional and personal growth. The university purposefully instilled in us communication skills, leadership, ethics and morality so that we carry out our responsibilities with sanctity.”
The convocation ceremony was attended by graduating students, their families, faculty, university partners and government officials.
