On June 5, a 13-member delegation led by Charles Mahera, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Tanzania's Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, visited China National Academy of Educational Sciences (CNAES). Li Xiaoqiang, Vice-President, CNAES, attended the symposium.
Charles Mahera remarked that China-Tanzania friendship has a long-standing history, with education being a key area of China’s assistance and support for Tanzania. He noted that China has consistently provided strong support to Tanzania in infrastructure development, international student training, teacher capacity building, and the advancement of technical and vocational education. Currently, Tanzania is vigorously advancing the reform of its education system by formulating new development plans, extending technical and vocational education to higher education, enhancing the alignment between education and socio-economic development, and cultivating talent that meets labor market demands.He stated that this visit to China with his delegation is a targeted study tour to benchmark the country’s experience in educational reform and development. As a national-level educational think tank, CNAES plays a crucial role in educational policy consultation, theoretical research, and reform practices. He expressed hope that through this visit and subsequent exchanges, they would gain an in-depth understanding of CNAES's achievements and expertise in areas such as education policy planning, higher education, and vocational education.
Li Xiaoqiang provided Charles Mhera and his delegation with an overview of CNAES, highlighting its representative achievements in academic research, policy consultation, practical guidance, and international exchanges. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Tanzanian educators in vigorously advancing the modernization of the country's education system. He noted that under the framework of China-Tanzania cultural and educational cooperation, CNAES is willing to expand collaboration with Tanzanian education policy departments, research institutions, and academic institutions. By actively sharing research outcomes and expertise in education, CNAES aims to contribute intellectual support to Tanzania’s educational development while bolstering sustainable educational progress in the region and beyond.
During the talks, experts from CNAES actively addressed the concerns raised by the Tanzanian side and shared experiences on key topics, including educational strategy planning, vocational education curriculum development and industry-education integration, higher education system optimization, student employ-ability enhancement, and evidence-based education policy-making supported by research. Dr. Sylvia Shayo Temu Chairperson of "Higher Education Vision 2050," commended the remarkable work of CNAES, emphasizing that educational progress demands strategic vision, actionable plans, and strong research backing—insights highly relevant to Tanzania’s education sector.
Participants included Musa Ramadhan Sima Deputy Chairperson, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Sports and Culture; Ms. Zainabu Zuberi Massoro, Minister Plenipotentiary, Minister of the Embassy; officials from Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology; and representatives from CNAES.