Global Competition and Higher Education in Tanzania

Abstract

Higher education in the United Republic of Tanzania has changed dramatically since independence from Great Britain in 1961. The country’s first tertiary education institution was established the same year with 13 students and became part of the University of East Africa in 1963 (Omari 1991; UDSM 2007). In 1970, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) became the first national university, and it remained the only one until 1984 (Omari 1991). Today, more than 48,000 students study in Tanzania’s eight public universities and 17 private higher education institutions (TMHEST 2005a).