Group Photo: PhD Forest Sciences Students with various University Leaders during the opening session of the orientation week program (11th January 2021)
A total of twenty deserving PhD Scholarship applicants were awarded REFOREST PhD scholarships to undertake the PhD Forest Sciences Program at SUA. The students are from Ethiopia (4), Mozambique (3), Rwanda (4), Uganda (4) and Tanzania (5). Out of the 20 scholarship awardees, 17 reported at SUA on the 10th January 2021. Three students from Rwanda are expected to report later after completing all the required procedures in their country.
Orientation week for the students takes place at SUA from 11th to 16th January 2021. The purpose of the orientation programme is to familiarize the students with the academic, institutional, social and regulatory environment at SUA and Tanzania in order to facilitate smooth take off as PhD students at the University.
During the orientation week, students will receive useful information from various presenters which is likely to influence their academic performance and social welfare at SUA. Such information include immigration requirements for foreign students, SUA regulations and procedures, library services, health services, ICT services, accommodation arrangements, ethical issues, quality assurance, legal and security matters that surround the student environment at SUA.
The orientation week which is coordinated by the REFOREST Program Management Team (PMT) was officially opened by the SUA Vice Chancellor Prof Raphael Chibunda and attended by members from the university management including Prof Maulid Mwatawala (Deputy Vice – Chancellor Academic), Prof Amandus Muhairwa (Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration & Finance), Principles, Deans, Directors, and Heads of Departments.
The Dean of the Faculty of Forestry at SLU (Prof Goran), SLU REFOREST Coordinator (Prof. Gert Nyberg) and Sida representative responsible for all REFOREST matters Mr. Claes Kjellstrom participated in the official opening session and made presentations using zoom facilities.
It should be emphasized that the REFOREST which supports the students is a unique Programme financed by Sida and aimed at producing elite scientists in forestry. The programme is jointly implemented by six universities, namely Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) as host, Makerere University (Uganda), The University of Rwanda, Edouardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), Hawassa University (Ethiopia) and The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden).
The PhD Forest Sciences programme comprises one year of coursework at SUA and three years of research, thesis writing and defense. The thesis researches will be undertaken in the students’ home countries. During the training process resource persons from all the six partner universities will teach courses and supervise student’ research.
Each student will have three supervisors, one from his/her national university, one from SUA and the third one from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The programme is unique in both structure and the collaborative mode of delivery. That is why student’s orientation is very necessary.
