The Jawaharlal Nehru University conferred an honourary doctorate to Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first woman President of Tanzania, here on Tuesday. Dr. Hassan is on an official visit to India. The recognition is in appreciation for her pivotal role in fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations, promoting economic diplomacy, and achieving success in regional integration and multilateralism, the Union Education Ministry said.
Dr. Hassan, remembering the training she received from National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad said she is product of Indian education. She said it is not just the beauty of its landscape, but also the generosity, and the kindness of its people, makes India, “Incredible India”. “India is an extended family member simply separated by a coastline, a strategic ally, a dependable partner and a friend for all seasons,” she added. “India has remained truthful and loyal to the cause of the Global South and the developing countries,” she said adding that India has continued to uphold the importance of multilateralism, and valuing society over market.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the country’s efforts to build fraternal relationship with African countries was cemented with setting up of the first offshore campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar. He said the institute will prove to be a milestone in educational cooperation between the two nations and continents, by providing students from Tanzania and other African countries with the access to world-class engineering and technology education.
“The support of Tanzania, a key African partner of India, is needed to amplify the aspirations of the Global South, especially on education and human resource development. Skill-focused and market-aligned higher education are to be delivered to the youth of both the countries in a collaborative manner,” he added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said education and capacity building are important facets of the bilateral ties between the two countries. “Under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme, over 5000 Tanzanian nationals have already been trained in Indian educational institutions,” he said. “The inclusion of the African Union in the G20 as a full member was one of the highest successes of the Indian Presidency,” Dr Jaishankar said.
