The Building Stronger Universities programme ends at Kilimanjaro Medical University College

After 11 years of successful capacity building and collaboration between Danish universities and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, the Building Stronger Universities programme ends with tangible results.

By Vibeke Quaade

The closing symposium for the Building Stronger Universities programme at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College in January 2023, marked the end of 11 years of successful capacity building and collaboration between Danish universities and their Tanzanian partner.

Read here the University of Copenhagen’s Charlotte Malessé’s article The Power of International Collaboration: The Future Looks Bright

Launched in 2011, the Building Stronger Universities programme aimed to increase the capacity of African universities to undertake teaching, research, and outreach with the ultimate goal of generating and applying new knowledge to tackle priority development challenges.

Strengthened research capacity
In the course of 11 years, the programme has delivered tangible results that have enhanced the research capacity of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College. The programme has demonstrated that it pays to have a capacity-building programme covering the entire spectrum of capacities needed to do quality research – from strengthening the university’s administration system to research-based teaching, research modalities and dissemination.

For example, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College went from having 11 PhDs in 2011 to 46 in 2023. A total of nine key policies and guidelines were developed to improve the college’s research systems, more than 25 modules of training were conducted, and the number of research publications by the college’s staff and students increased from 56 in 2016/17 to 152 in 2021/21.

Building Stronger Universities also contributed to the college’s sustainability as almost all trained staff have remained at the college as teaching staff, helping it meet the staffing levels required for accreditation. Those who left have taken up key positions in Tanzania’s health authorities. The programme contributed significantly to strengthening the college’s grant management systems, infrastructure, continuing education, e-library and e-learning. As a result of these efforts, the college was able to maintain its core functions – such as teaching, research and service – before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mutual benefits
The effect of Building Stronger Universities has not only been felt in Tanzania but also by the Danish university partners. They have benefited from having strong research partners in Tanzania in areas such as malaria, HIV and, more recently, Covid-19. In addition, the collaboration has brought the Danish research partners closer to one another.

The closing symposium brought together academics, policymakers and other stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, various regulatory bodies in Tanzania, and health research communities in Tanzania and Denmark. It was an opportunity to reflect on the past 11 years, share experiences and insights and celebrate the programme’s successes.

From 2011 to 2023, the Danish government invested a total of DKK 190 million (approx. USD 29 million) in the Building Stronger Universities programme covering partnerships with the State University of Zanzibar, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Gulu University, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and Kathmandu University.

DKK 38 million (approx. USD 5,8 million) was allocated to Kilimanjaro Medical University College to train human resources, upgrade infrastructure and strengthen individual and organisational research capacity.

The Building Stronger University programme is a shining example of what can be achieved when institutions collaborate over a longer period. The success of Building Stronger Universities serves as a reminder of the power of international collaboration in driving positive change and tackling complex local and global challenges.

More about the history of the Building Stronger Universities programme

Watch the videos showing selected partners and beneficiaries of the Danish Tanzanian university collaboration at Kilimanjaro Medical University College.

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