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The UNESCO Dar es Salaam in collaboration with the Mbeya University of Science and Technology and the University of Dar es Salaam successfully conducted CFIT III National Technical Committee Meeting from 9^th to 10^th May 2023. The meeting focused on assessing project progress, addressing challenges, sharing lessons learned, and strategizing for quality results achievements. It also underscored the commitment of all implementing partners to achieving quality results the project. Bringing together key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST), Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST), University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), and UNESCO demonstrates a holistic approach to address the challenges and opportunities of the CFIT III project. By pooling resources, expertise, and perspectives, the meeting fostered experience sharing and enhanced collaboration towards common results. The overall objective of the China Funds-in-Trust, phase III (CFIT III) project is to enhance the capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs) to respond to the skill needs for national development by facilitating collaboration between higher education institutions and the industry, enhancing labor market-oriented teaching, and strengthening competency-based learning. The six participating countries in this project are Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. 

On behalf of the Government of Tanzania, The Director for Higher Education from MoEST, Prof. Peter Msofe, assured the Government’s commitment to continue collaborating with UNESCO and all stakeholders in implementing the CFIT III project to ensure results are timely achieved (June 2025). 

On the other hand, the Senior Program Specialist Ms. Liu, Yufeng from UNESO Headquarters in Paris extended her appreciation to Tanzania, and specifically MoEST and the Implementing Partners, UDSM and MUST, for their continued collaboration and support received from CFIT III implementation to ensure results are achieved. She reminded  that, the contribution of CFIT III project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals as it promotes student employability and contribute to socio-economic development through labour market survey, tracer studies, curriculum development, assessment contribution to national polices, green skills, competence and partnerships. Other countries implementing the project are Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Senegal, and Uganda. Meanwhile, the Head of the Education Sector at UNESCO Dar es Salaam Office Ms. Faith Shayo provided the structural arrangement of the project and reminded on the responsibilities of the beneficiary institutions in organizing Technical Committee and National Steering Committee Meetings. 

Each beneficiary institution shared the project progress, lessons learned and 2024/2025 workplan being the final implementation year. The project has made significant strides in terms of curriculum development matching skills needed in industries and linkages have been established with industries to increase employability of students completing Higher Technical Education. To emphasise on the later, the MUST CFIT III Project Coordinator, Prof. Zacharia Katambara highlighted that, “As a step towards strengthening partnership with industries one of the actions taken is implementing a memorandum of understanding between MUST and Mufindi District Council. We have agreed to implement a mini-hydropower plant project across the Nyalawa River in Rufiji Basin where field practical training for students, internship for graduate and junior staff from the fields of civil, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, electronics and ICT will be exposed to a real-world experience”. Beneficiaries agreed to strengthen such linkages and scale up CFIT III results. Both beneficiaries agreed to strengthen such linkages and scale up CFIT III results.

The strategic planning for the 2024/2025 implementation phase highlighted key activities such as capacity building to ensure effective implementation of competence-based curriculum and increased collaboration amongst implementing agencies and UNESCO as well as monitoring and evaluation. The meeting brainstormed on the project sustainability and scaling up the achievements of the project. The stakeholders demonstrated their long-term commitment to the project's success and the broader goal of enhancing higher technical education in Tanzania while working closely with UNESCO.