Tanzania's universities, policymakers and governance frameworks must respond to the fast-growing use of artificial intelligence in higher education, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology Wanu Hafidh Ameir said on Wednesday.
Opening the third Five University Consortium (5UC) Conference in Arusha, Honourable Ameir said she had noted “with interest" discussions on how AI guidelines “can keep pace with the rapid growth of AI in Tanzanian higher education."
“This is precisely the kind of conversation we need, not only about what technology can do, but also about how our institutions, policies and governance frameworks should respond to its opportunities and challenges," she said.
The three-day conference, hosted by the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), brings together 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). They are joined by scholars from 13 universities in eight countries across Africa and Europe. Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania Emily Burns also attended the opening.
The conference theme 'From Dialogue to Impact: Integrating Science, Technology, Policy and Climate Resilience for a Sustainable Future' focuses on moving university research beyond academic circles and into government policy, industry and community practice.
AKU Provost and Vice President, Academic Professor Tania Bubela said universities could no longer stop at producing knowledge.
“Universities are good at generating knowledge and initiating conversations. But our responsibility is to ensure that knowledge also translates into better policies, technologies and practices that improve lives and protect the environment," she said. “That requires collaboration beyond universities."
The meeting comes as Tanzania implements its Development Vision 2050. The vision names environmental integrity and climate change resilience as one of its three development pillars and identifies science, technology, research and innovation as drivers of long-term transformation.
Among the projects highlighted was the Kikohozi Classifier, named after the Swahili word for cough. It was developed by AKU's School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa, and uses artificial intelligence to analyse cough sounds to support screening and early detection of respiratory diseases.
AKU also pointed to research on climate resilience and environmental sustainability at its Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER).
The consortium held its previous conferences at UDSM and SUA. Organisers said it would continue to expand joint research, faculty and student exchanges, shared expertise and infrastructure, and collaborative funding. The aim is to build stronger pathways for research to shape policy and meet community needs.
