Guiding
Investment framework
The
University of Dar es Salaam in its Corporate Strategic
Plan (UDSM, 1994) and in the current Five Year Rolling
Strategic Plan (FYRSP) of 2000/01-2004/05 (UDSM, 2000)
has categorically stated its intention to exploit
all areas of strength and opportunities offered by
the current institutional and national policies of
liberalization. In looking at the investment or business
opportunities, a casual review may make one think
there are only a handful of them. However, a critical
analysis of the commercially attractive potential
business ventures indicates that one can identify
at least five potential groups of UDSM resources that
are worthy of the investors' consideration:
(i)
Land based investments
These include those types of businesses that will
facilitate the exploitation of the available prime
land suitable for commercial development without interfering
with the academic needs of the University but falling
within the UDSM Land Use and Investment policy guidelines.
(ii)
Knowledge and professional skills based investments
These are types of investments that will provide an
opportunity to exploit the immense and extremely varied
academic and professional quality of University academicians
in offering consultancy services as guided by research.
Essentially, the approach is to enter into special
joint venture agreements between the University Consultancy
Bureau (UCB) and a number of strong local and international
consulting companies.
(iii)
Existing UDSM companies that are available for enhancement
of their production potential through capital injection
and strategic knowledge-based partnerships
Presently, there are two UDSM limited liability companies
that are open to joint venture arrangements. These
are: DUP(1996) Ltd, a publishing company and UCC (Ltd),
an ICT company.
(iv) Existing UDSM facilities that are available
for upgrading and expansion through capital investment
and capacity building
The main facilities targeted include upgrading the
UDSM Health Centre to a full-fledged hospital and
the upgrading and expansion of the sports facilities
(both outdoor and indoor games).
(v)
Conference Centre and Services
The proposal here is for the University facilities,
lecture theatres and selected halls of residences
to be more optimally utilized during vacations and
weekends for conferences or workshops. The UDSM environment
does lend itself very well to the use of a number
of existing privately run services, like catering,
which are of fairly high standards. The different
University units can provide secretarial services
and internet café services to the delegates.
