MUHAS boosts infrastructure to enhance global standing

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) is intensifying investments in infrastructure and academic facilities as part of broader efforts to sustain quality education, strengthen research capacity and enhance its global standing.

MUHAS, which has been ranked by the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) as the number one university in Tanzania and third in East Africa, continues to attract international students, with about 10 per cent of its student population coming from countries such as the United States, Austria, Sweden and several East African nations.

Speaking after participating in the Reunion Fun Run Season Four, an annual event organised by the university in Dar es Salaam recently, MUHAS ViceChancellor, Prof Apollinary Kamuhabwa, said the institution has put in place various strategies to ensure it maintains high standards.

“Our university is implementing several development projects, while others are ongoing under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) programme. Many of these projects have already surpassed 50 per cent of implementation,” he said.

In November 2024, MUHAS signed a 50bn/- consortium agreement with two construction companies for the development of a new College of Medicine at its Mloganzila campus.

The project is expected to significantly enhance teaching, learning and research capacity. According to project details, the new college will include lecture halls with a combined capacity of 1,400 students, an administration block with offices for 450 users, and a modern library and ICT building capable of accommodating 550 users at a time.

The development will also feature a laboratory complex comprising 21 laboratories, a student hostel for 320 students, a cafeteria with capacity for 550 users, a football ground and an internal road network connecting the entire infrastructure.

Meanwhile, MUHAS Head of the Internationalisation and Convocation Unit, Dr Maryam Amour, said the Reunion Fun Run aims to bring together alumni who graduated in previous years at least once annually to reconnect with their alma mater.

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“We decided to organise this reunion through a joint walk or marathon, which is a well-established practice globally,” she said.

Dr Amour noted that the event provides graduates with an opportunity to reflect on their contribution to the university’s development.

“An alumnus gets a chance to ask themselves: I graduated from this university, what can I contribute to its growth?” she explained. She added that the event has continued to gain momentum, with this year’s edition attracting about 500 participants.

“This is very important because it helps us strengthen various systems that support the effective management and development of our university,” she said