Dear alumni, members and friends of the SUA community,
First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to present to you all to Vol. 23 of our Sokoine University of Agriculture Convocation Newsletter (SUACONE).
I am honoured and privileged to take this opportunity to thank God, the Almighty for his mercy
and grace without which I could not write anything here.
Dear colleagues, as you may remember, this year started well but all of a sudden, the world faced the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). This pandemic, which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) estimates to have pushed over 1.5 billion students out of school in 165 countries, has also forced the academic community to explore new ways of teaching and learning, including distance and online platforms.
Some learning institutions were and some are still closed down even during the second wave of the pandemic, but luckily enough, SUA is operating as normal on a face-to-face basis. The pandemic served to encourage us to join the global initiative of offering virtual alternatives such as webinar and zoom especially in postgraduate programmes during the temporary closure.
Dear members of the Convocation, I am particularly proud of our fifth phase government of the United Republic of Tanzania through our keen President, H.E. Dr John Pombe Magufuli who used many invaluable initiatives and tactics, which God blessed and hence intervened, to make our country almost COVID-free. However, we should not slumber; we should keep our heads up!
As we celebrate our forthcoming convocation this December 17th, let us all be vigilant especially now when our country has become a middle-income economy via its vision 2025 and the move is on the economic diplomacy.
Our economic diplomacy as ECC calls upon you all to support us with your membership subscriptions and beyond, as you have been doing, via our Convocation Fundraising Account. Most importantly, we also urge you to transform into reality whatever you get or got at SUA.
On a special note, I would like to acknowledge the support given by our SUA Management especially our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Raphael Chibunda; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Maulid Mwatawala; Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration and Finance), Prof. Amandus Muhairwa, and other university personnel for the smooth and tireless running of SUA activities. Their esprit de corps, together with the support from ECC members and alumni, has eased my task.
Finally, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021 marked by good health and humour, as well as by more innovative ideas!
Prof. Rudovick R. Kazwala,
Convocation President