The World Bank Group in Tanzania has commended Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) for its performance under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project. MUST is the only participating university whose HEET infrastructure is already in use. Its equipment procurement is also further along than at any other institution under the project.

The recognition came during a two-day implementation support visit by a World Bank delegation led by Ms. Milena Stefanova, World Bank Operations Manager for Tanzania. She was accompanied by Ms. Huma Kidwai, Senior Education Specialist, and Mr. Nkahiga Mathias Kaboko, Education Specialist. The delegation assessed progress at the Rukwa Campus in Sumbawanga and the Main Campus in Mbeya.

Prof. Zacharia Katambara, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Planning), received the delegation on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloys N. Mvuma. At the Rukwa Campus, the delegates toured the new academic block, workshops and equipment acquired through the project, before a boardroom briefing by the Director of Planning and Investment, Mr. Cornel Msemwa.

Under HEET, MUST received US$31.5 million, fully disbursed, with 99.9 per cent spent or committed. Infrastructure took 82 per cent of the allocation, delivering five new buildings across the two campuses, handed over in November 2025. These include academic buildings and workshop blocks at both campuses and a Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Main Campus. Together they provide 278 teaching, laboratory and academic spaces, with a combined single-sitting capacity of 7,165 users.

The impact was immediate. Enrolment rose by 21 per cent in one academic year, from 12,815 to 15,535 students, and late-evening overflow classes gave way to purpose-built lecture halls. Construction also employed 9,768 Tanzanians across the two sites, bringing income to surrounding communities.

Beyond buildings, the university developed 46 labour-market-aligned curricula, 23 of which are already accredited and enrolling. Student and staff industry placements reached 20,802, exceeding the target by 18 per cent. Fifteen industry partnerships were signed against a target of ten, and a 22-member Industrial Advisory Committee now meets every semester. Annual peer-reviewed publications grew from 60 in 2021 to 224, while 85 staff were sponsored for doctoral and master's degrees.

On the second day, Ms. Kidwai toured the Main Campus, where the facilities and buildings left a strong impression as evidence of MUST's capacity to support quality teaching, research and innovation.

In her remarks, Ms. Stefanova noted that the investments will improve the quality of education while driving wider economic development. “At the end of the day, this is what education is for: to create opportunities for the future. The World Bank is very committed to the jobs agenda,” she stated, urging the university to measure success by the employment its graduates secure.

The World Bank is also supporting major economic corridor initiatives, including the Central Corridor and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking the port to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. These are expected to create demand for skills in construction, agriculture, mining, tourism and the growth of secondary cities. The delegation encouraged MUST to deepen its industry links by involving employers directly in curriculum development.

The visit also reviewed work still outstanding. At the Rukwa Campus, laboratories and workshops have been equipped in only one of three fields, electrical engineering, as budget shortfalls left civil and mechanical engineering unequipped. Several completed spaces at both campuses still await furniture. The university further presented operational needs outside the project's scope, estimated at US$11.86 million. These include a students' hostel, cafeteria, dispensary and transport for the Rukwa Campus, which lies 45 kilometres from town, as well as furniture and a student cafeteria for the Main Campus.

As the project approaches its closing date of 31 January 2027, the World Bank will continue discussions with the Ministry of Finance to highlight its results and the remaining needs. “It is not just about the infrastructure, but about the potential,” Ms. Stefanova emphasised.

The delegation also advised MUST to generate its own revenue from the new facilities to ensure their sustainability. “Whatever support comes from us as partners, you have to own it, sustain it and keep growing,” Ms. Stefanova added. The World Bank's new education and skills project, led by Ms. Kidwai, offers further room for partnership.

The HEET project is a Government of Tanzania initiative funded by the World Bank to strengthen higher learning institutions in support of the country's economic transformation.