The first female president of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, received an Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) from Jawaharlal Nehru University in recognition of her crucial contribution to advancing economic diplomacy, fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations, and achieving success in regional integration and multilateralism. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Dr. S. Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, and Smt. Annapurna Devi, the Minister of State for Education, attended the occasion. The occasion was also attended by the Vice Chancellor of JNU, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, the Vice Chancellor of JNU, Shri Kanwal Sibal, a delegation from Tanzania, the heads of 15 African missions, dignitaries, education experts, and senior Ministry officials.
H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan admitted that she was a "product of Indian education" during her speech and credited this to her ITEC training at NIRD, Hyderabad. She was humbled by the significant honor given to her because it was the first time she had received recognition from a foreign university. She claimed that India is an "incredible India" due to its charity and caring toward others as well as the beauty of its natural surroundings. India is a strategic ally, a trusted partner, and a friend for all seasons, she said, just geographically separated by a coastline. She emphasized that India has remained sincere and devoted to the cause of the Global South and developing nations. She saw the value of India has continued to uphold the importance of multilateralism, and valuing society over the market.
She expressed her sincere gratitude to the prestigious organization for the opportunity to receive the Honorary Doctorate. She said that accepting the Honoris Causa wasn't the end result of her efforts, but rather a reminder of the limitless potential that everyone can achieve with perseverance, devotion, and altruism. She added that the brave fight for a just and green energy transition is another area of commonality for Indo-African partnership. She openly admitted that she enjoyed everything about India, including the cuisine, music, and movies.
H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan received a felicitation for her long-standing work to strengthen bilateral ties between Tanzania and India, and Shri Pradhan congratulated her on the honor. He thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his tremendous efforts to get the African Union on board with the G-20. In his speech, Shri Pradhan expressed his joy at the establishment of Zanzibar's first IIT offshore campus, which is expected to open in early November of this year. He said that by giving Tanzanian and other African students access to top-notch engineering and technology education, the institute will prove to be a turning point in educational collaboration between the two countries and continents.
He stated that Tanzania, an important African ally of India, must lend its support to the Global South's goals, particularly in the areas of education and human resource development. The youth of both nations are to receive collaboratively delivered higher education that is skill-focused and market-aligned. The Minister emphasized that with 55000 institutions, 42 million students, and 1.6 million professors, India has a thriving higher education ecosystem that has to be further strengthened with the aspirational NEP 2020 that is bringing about radical reforms. He said that the fundamental pillars for developing responsible global citizens are access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability. He noted that significant progress has been made in creating a Digital Public Infrastructure for the educational system.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Jaishankar said that the awarding of an academic honor to H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan acknowledges her long affinity and relationship with India. He continued by saying that creating capability and promoting education are significant aspects of the two nations' bilateral relations. He further noted that more than 5,000 Tanzanian people have already received training in Indian educational institutions through the ITEC program. He added that Tanzania is the ideal location for the first overseas IIT to be established in Zanzibar. According to Dr. Jaishankar, the institute has the potential to develop into the continent of Africa's top technical education facility. One of the greatest achievements of the G20 was the full membership of the African Union successes of the Indian Presidency, Dr. Jaishankar added. The rise of Africa is central to global rebalancing and the support of India towards that is unstinted, he commented.
Highlighting the significant milestone that India achieved during the G20 Summit and the New Delhi declaration, Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit mentioned it is a testament to India’s exceptional abilities to table ideas, shape global issues, bridge divides, and forge a consensus. She also mentioned that JNU has a Centre for African Studies that began in 1969, which in 2009 became a specialized center, and the Nelson Mandela Chair, established by the Ministry of External Affairs.
