The World Bank Group in Tanzania has commended Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST) for its performance under the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) project. MUST is the only participating university whose HEET infrastructure is already in use. Its equipment procurement is also further along than at any other institution under the project

The recognition came during a two-day implementation support visit by a World Bank delegation led by Ms. Milena Stefanova, World Bank Operations Manager for Tanzania. She was accompanied by Ms. Huma Kidwai, Senior Education Specialist, and Mr. Nkahiga Mathias Kaboko, Education Specialist. The delegation assessed progress at the Rukwa Campus in Sumbawanga and the Main Campus in Mbeya.

Prof. Zacharia Katambara, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Planning), received the delegation on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aloys N. Mvuma. At the Rukwa Campus, the delegates toured the new academic block, workshops and equipment acquired through the project, before a boardroom briefing by the Director of Planning and Investment, Mr. Cornel Msemwa.

Under HEET, MUST received US$31.5 million, fully disbursed, with 99.9 per cent spent or committed. Infrastructure took 82 per cent of the allocation, delivering five new buildings across the two campuses, handed over in November 2025. These include academic buildings and workshop blocks at both campuses and a Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Main Campus. Together they provide 278 teaching, laboratory and academic spaces, with a combined single-sitting capacity of 7,165 users.

The impact was immediate. Enrolment rose by 21 per cent in one academic year, from 12,815 to 15,535 students, and late-evening overflow classes gave way to purpose-built lecture halls. Construction also employed 9,768 Tanzanians across the two sites, bringing income to surrounding communities.

Beyond buildings, the university developed 46 labour-market-aligned curricula, 23 of which are already accredited and enrolling. Student and staff industry placements reached 20,802, exceeding the target by 18 per cent. Fifteen industry partnerships were signed against a target of ten, and a 22-member Industrial Advisory Committee now meets every semester. Annual peer-reviewed publications grew from 60 in 2021 to 224, while 85 staff were sponsored for doctoral and master's degrees.