Dear readers,

We are delighted to warmly welcome you to our website, the first ever since the establishment of UDASA. So, thank you very much for taking the time to visit our website. Through this platform, we will be sharing our activities, stories, achievements, and events. Also, on these webpages, you will read about issues of concern to the members of the assembly, the UDSM community, the academic community, the nation, and the general public. We believe you will educate yourself as you explore these webpages.

Dear reader, you might be interested to know exactly who we are and what we stand for. UDASA stands for the University of Dar es Salaam Academic Staff Assembly (UDASA), which is a default organisation for all academic staff joining the University of Dar es Salaam. UDASA was established under the University of Dar es Salaam Charter.

Our organisation is entrenched and basking in the beautiful hills at the Mwalimu Nyerere Campus, popularly known as Mlimani. It also consists of constituent colleges and institutes which are affiliated with the University of Dar es Salaam such as Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE); Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences (MCHAS);   Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE); the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) located in Zanzibar, and The Mineral Resources Institute (MRI) located in Dodoma. We have been entrusted with the beautiful task of guiding the fresh minds of the youths so that they can contribute to making the world a better place it ought to be and enriching the matured-minds of professionals who want to expand their knowledge and research base in advancing their careers and knowledge base. We have gladly accepted these tasks, the reason why we are UDASA members.

As academicians, we strive very hard to remain loyal to our scholarly commitments and meet our employer’s obligations while keeping our customers satisfied. Amidst these, we live and enrich our lives with social activities that bring us together and make us part of the community. That is why we have events such as New Year Party, Sports Bonanza, and family days; outreach and research activities that embody our social responsibilities. Not only that, but we also engage in academic and public debates and discussions on varying issues of academic and public interests.

Furthermore, UDASA provides a limited number of scholarships for postgraduate studies at the UDSM through the Chachage Scholarship Fund, in respect of one of our own and a previous UDASA chairperson, the late Professor Chachage Seithy Chachage. The scholarship is offered to exceptionally talented postgraduate students registered in any discipline at UDSM but who are needy students. Currently, this scholarship is funded out of our monthly contributions meant to support UDASA activities. For those who would like to apply, it is a very competitive scholarship, but worth a try. Through this scholarship, it is our hope that the beneficiaries will have a chance to be employed by UDSM, thus helping to swell the academic ranks of UDSM.

Apart from this website, UDASA has a Newsletter and social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram through which we communicate with the public. We use these tools to disseminate information, communicate our activities, and participate in scholarly and public discourses on politics, economy, science, art, and many other subjects. In the newsletter, for example, we encourage UDASA members to share views, give opinions, and discuss issues of UDSM and public interests; and we invite students and members of the public to share their ideas with us. We are committed to respecting the freedom of expression while remaining true to the values of humanity and academic scholarship.

UDASA collaborates closely with the UDSM management and other organs within and outside the University in its efforts to improve the working conditions and wellbeing of its members. For example, the management, UDASA, and THTU engaged in finding plots to be sold to UDASA members, and other UDSM staff at an affordable price and allow interested buyers to pay by borrowing from the University and slowly paying back for an extended period of time depending on what they can manage from their salaries. The project has provided an opportunity for members to build their own houses; hence, making their living less stressful. We are immensely thankful to the current Vice Chancellor, Prof. William Anangisye, and his team for making this project a reality. It is our hope that the same approach can make other efforts fruitful such as improving the promotion process, working environment, salaries and other benefits and rights of UDASA members.

UDASA works closely and collaboratively with THTU, ASAPUCT and other organizations that strive to ensure better livelihoods of academic and administrative staff. Through our collaboration, we remind the administration of its duty to pay all staff emoluments to bolster academic success across the University.

Together, we believe, we can reach higher heights. Come to our offices, drop us an email, or contact us by other means provided on this website. We promise to work with you to ensure a healthy working condition for all.

Lastly, I would love to receive your feedback to help us improve the content, outlook, and structure of our website.

Prof John A.M. Mahugija

UDASA Chairperson – 2023 – 2025