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600 to converge on `The Hill' in global student forum
2008-04-11 10:27:31
By Lusekelo Philemon
Students of the University of Dar es Salaam have organised an eight-day International Students Week in Tanzania (ISWiT) that is to take place from August 10 to 17, this year.
The event is expected to bring together about 600 students from different universities and cultural backgrounds across the world.
In the historic event that will take place only in Tanzania in the African continent, students would deliberate on various global issues and come up with solutions and recommendations for effective implementation.
"The forum is being organised by UDSM students, in collaboration with students from other higher learning institutions in the country," said Philomena Modu, president of the event's organising committee.
She said ISWiT would also mark the tenth anniversary of the event in Tanzania, under the theme "Global Citizenship: The Youth Perspective."
According to Modu, the theme has been slated into six sub-topics - global citizenship, culture, education, climatic change, technology and security.
ISWiT, to be held at the USDM main campus, intends to give students from different parts of the world a platform to voice their opinions, concerns and perspectives on matters of global interests and work towards establishing creative solutions in their respective countries.
"We intend to use this opportunity to promote Tanzania\'s abundant tourist attractions," said Jokate Mwegelo, vice-president of the organising committee's subcommittee on marketing and public relations.
Mwegelo explained that after the event, the committee would organize a four-day tour called 'Tanzania Unleashed' for the participants as a way of promoting Tanzania's natural treasures.
"I believe this event will showcase Tanzania's attractions to the world, form an appreciation of our culture, and lifestyle to the participants who will be Tanzania's ambassadors back to their respective countries," she said, appealing to the public, corporate companies and other key stakeholders to contribute to the successful implementation of the event.
Ellis Pendonkunga, vice-president of the subcommittee on finance and administration, said the event was expected to cost about 90m/-.
IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi, who is one of the ISWiT patrons, urged Tanzanian youths to be confident and believe in what they do. He said confidence was an important tool towards success.
Supporting the students' initiative of organising such an international event, Mengi said: "I accepted to be one of the ISWiT patrons because of the commitment you have," he said, adding: "Let's give support to these young Tanzanians to make them realise their dreams."
Other event's patrons include Prof. Rwekaza Mukandala, the UDSM vice-chancellor, and Prof. Anna Tibaijuka, executive director of UN-HABITAT.
"Global citizenship is a very brilliant theme in this forum, hence it needs to be supported," a UDSM don, Dr. Natu Mwamba, said.
Since its inception in 1998, ISWiT has successfully staged open and free dialogues for young creative intellectuals and remains a leading event of its kind in Africa.
The last ISWiT event was held in August 2006, in which 300 students participated including academicians and organisations.
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