Students urged to look beyond academics for opportunities

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIAN students preparing to pursue higher education in India have been urged to look beyond academic performance and actively identify employment, business and networking opportunities that could benefit them after graduation.

The students have been encouraged to use their time in India to build meaningful connections with fellow students from different countries, learn about opportunities in other markets and gain practical knowledge in technology and industrial development that they can eventually bring back to Tanzania.

Speaking during a briefing session attended by 85 students and their parents ahead of their departure for India, Global Education Link Managing Director Abdulmalik Mollel urged the students to focus on achieving good academic results while also developing networks that could open doors to employment and business opportunities after graduation.

“You need a good GPA, but there are also vast opportunities there. You will be studying alongside the children of wealthy industrialists. We want you to build connections with such people and identify job prospects, so that you do not finish your studies only to struggle in search of work when opportunities were actually within reach,” he said.

Mollel encouraged the students to associate with friends who would add value to their education and personal development rather than those who prioritise leisure and neglect their studies.

He also urged them to interact with international students and learn about opportunities available in their respective countries, saying such networks could potentially create opportunities for work or further professional development after graduation.

“You will encounter students from various nations, including developed countries. Ask about the opportunities available in their home nations so that, upon graduation, you might go there to work instead of struggling to find employment here,” he said.

Mollel further challenged the students to learn from India’s industrial development, particularly its small-scale manufacturing sector, which he said demonstrates that businesses can be started with relatively modest capital.

He cautioned them against the perception that starting a business requires billions of shillings, urging them instead to study how small-scale industries operate and consider how such knowledge and technologies could be applied in Tanzania.

“India has made great strides in industrialisation; take advantage of that opportunity, but do not let it derail your studies. Ask yourself: are you studying merely for a good GPA, or are you going there to acquire knowledge—specifically technology and industrial insights—and bring them back to Tanzania?” he said.

He said unemployment is a global challenge and urged the students to develop an entrepreneurial and opportunity-oriented mindset while still at university.

Mollel said more than 800 Tanzanian students travel abroad for studies each year through Global Education Link, and challenged them to ensure their international exposure translates into skills, networks and opportunities that can contribute to their future careers and Tanzania’s development.

He also said that from next year, the organisation plans to facilitate access to employment opportunities by linking qualified graduates with local companies seeking professionals in different fields.

The students are scheduled to travel to India on August 21 and 23. During the briefing, they also received guidance on matters including permits, insurance, accommodation and other requirements for living and studying abroad.

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They were provided with flight tickets, visas and other documentation required for admission to their respective universities.

The orientation was organised by Global Education Link (GEL), an overseas education agency that facilitates students’ access to higher education opportunities abroad.