The State University of Zanzibar, Tanzania
Founded in 1999, The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) has quickly placed itself among the high quality universities in the region. As a public university, it focuses on delivering relevant education and research targeted at speeding up social changes, contributing to socio-economic development, and building a knowledge-based society that can tackle emergent global challenges. In pursuit of this mission, SUZA is currently working to incorporate innovation and entrepreneurship in its curriculum and to develop online and digital teaching.
In 2016/17, SUZA offered over 35 programmes at PhD, Master, undergraduate and pre-undergraduate level with specialities in computing, natural sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, languages, tourism, finance and management, and education. Recently, 3 government colleges joined SUZA through an ambitious government merging project which aims to strengthen its capacity. This brought more teaching programmes, staff and students, increasing the number of students to 5,000 and 500 staff located in 7 campuses. Research at SUZA is facilitated by the operation of several Centres: Center for Digital Learning, Center for Graduate Studies and Research, Tropical Research Center for Oceanography, Environment and Natural Resources.
Project team
Dr. Yahya Sheikh is a lecturer in computer science and information technology at the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) at SUZA. He was the former head of department and during his tenure he invested much effort in introducing innovation and entrepreneurship teaching programme as well as raising awareness to build innovation culture within the CSIT community and the public at large. This is in line with the university’s mission of improving relevance of graduates where innovation and entrepreneurship is the key. He has participated in co-designing the curriculum for innovation and entrepreneurship and he has been teaching the course modules for computer science, IT as well as environmental health students. He championed the establishment of pre-incubation activities in IT at SUZA (a project supported by TANZICT) where activities are continuously going, though without a physical space dedicated for innovation centre. He has also participated in the entrepreneurship training programme for non university students and participated in several workshops as facilitator and a panelist.
He received his Ph.D in Informatics from University of Oslo, Norway in 2015, M Sc in Information Systems from University of Oslo, Norway in 2005 and a B Sc in Computer Science from the University of Dar es salaam, Tanzania in 2001.
Dr. Umayra El Nabahani is an Assistant Lecturer and the current Head of Centre for Digital Learning (CDL) of the State University of Zanzibar. As the CDL she has spearheaded the establishment of SUZA TV which is specialising in preparing and broadcasting academic TV programmes, currently working on the content for science subjects for secondary schools. She is also responsible for the current e-learning initiatives at SUZA.
Dr. Umayra has received her Master of Educational Technology (M.Ed) from University Putra Malaysia (UPM), and a BSc with Education from the State University of Zanzibar. Her research interests include: Instructional Technology, Mobile learning, Television Learning, Evaluation in Educational Technology, New Trends in Educational Technology, Curriculum and Teaching, Instructional System Design, and E-Learning and Management of Learning Community.