The Ambassador of Ireland to Tanzania, H.E. Nicola Brennan, together with the leadership of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), held discussions on enhancing the implementation of the Samia Scholarship Extended DS/AI+ program, which aims to build expertise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science in Tanzania.

During the visit on March 9, 2026, at NM-AIST in Arusha, Vice Chancellor Prof. Maulilio Kipanyula highlighted that in the first phase of the program, 34 Tanzanian students have secured opportunities to pursue studies at universities in Ireland.

He further noted that the Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), and NM-AIST, plans to organize a special bootcamp to prepare the next cohort of students who will benefit from the program.

Hon. Ambassador Brennan commended the Government of Tanzania under the leadership of President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan for its commitment to investing in higher education in AI, Data Science, and interdisciplinary sciences. She emphasized that Tanzanian students will gain world-class education in Irish universities.

She also underscored the importance of increasing women’s participation in STEM fields and encouraged institutions and innovators to ensure that research outputs reach the market, contributing to economic growth, food security, and job creation.

As part of her visit, Ambassador Brennan toured NM-AIST’s laboratories, the High-Performance Computing (HPC) center, the Data Driven Institute (DDI), and innovation hubs to witness the institution’s contribution to advancing science and technology in Tanzania.