Wednesday, 20th May – 2026
We are proud to officially announce the signing of a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), marking a major milestone in strengthening youth entrepreneurship, innovation, investment readiness, and practical economic empowerment in Tanzania.
Through this long-term collaboration, YIA and UDSM will work together in different areas, including to training, design and implement impactful programs focused on entrepreneurship development, innovation and startup support, financial literacy, investment education, innovation commercialization, industry exposure, mentorship, internships, market access, and access to finance opportunities for students and young entrepreneurs.
The partnership also seeks to bridge the gap between academia and industry by connecting students with real-world opportunities through investment fellowships, industrial exposure programs, entrepreneurship bootcamps, innovation platforms, and strategic engagements with financial institutions, regulators, private sector and international stakeholders, and development partners.
Prof. Lilian Kaale, Director of Directorate of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (DIEN) at UDSM, facilitated the partnership process, on behalf of Prof. William-Andey Anangisye, the Vice Chancellor of UDSM. YIA was represented by Joseph Mramba, Founder and Executive Chairman, and Syed Hasan Akbar, Innovations, Entrepreneurship & Memberships Manager, alongside YIA’s legal partners, Derrick Mwakyeja and Rafael Mkwizu from LexVest Advisory.
This collaboration reflects a shared commitment towards building a generation of opportunity creators, innovators, and economically empowered youth capable of contributing meaningfully to Tanzania’s industrialization and economic transformation agenda, in-line with our country’s Dira 2050.
We sincerely thank the Management of the University of Dar es Salaam for their trust, collaboration, and commitment towards youth empowerment and long-term institutional partnership.