UDSM out to promote post-colonial history

THE University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) plans to establish a Bachelor Degree in history studies next year to promote Tanzania’s post-colonial history.

UDSM Head of the History Department, Dr Oswald Masebo, said in the city yesterday that two courses will be established to enable students learn pure history: Bachelor of Arts in Diplomatic and Military history and Bachelor of Arts in History and Cultural Heritage Management.

He revealed this yesterday during the opening of a two-day annual workshop of the Historical Association of Tanzania. The workshop, held at UDSM, attracted participants from several universities inside and outside the country and history teachers from secondary schools.

"The process of establishing these courses is going on well. The Tanzania Commission of Universities (TCU) is vetting the proposal. The courses will begin next year involving a class of 50 students," said Dr Masebo.

UDSM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rwekaza Mukandala, who was the guest of honour, said that in recent years the subject of history has lost its appeal to many students due to employment challenges.

He said the situation has contributed to youth ignoring the history of their country. He urged secondary school heads to improve the teaching of the subject to attract students to understand the history of their country.

"I am proposing forging collaboration towards undertaking research programmes that bring together historians from various institutions to examine issues of post-colonial history,” he said.

Dr Masebo said the desire to revive the Historical Association of Tanzania “was shaped by our recognition that our existence as historians at the University of Dar es Salaam gets meaning and value in relation to the existence of other Departments of History in other Universities in Tanzania.”

"If you look at the syllabi of many courses, both in universities and secondary schools, you notice that post-colonial history is usually one topic, the last in the teaching programme," he said.

SOURCE: DAILY NEWS