On the afternoon of September 3, 2021，the Tanzanian-Shanghai Mathematics Educator Exchange Program, hosted by the Research Institute for International and Comparative Education (RIICE) of Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), was successfully launched in a hybrid online and offline format. This event marks the official start of SHNU’s new round of foreign education aid programs.
Figure 1: Wu Cheng (1st from left), Yuan Wen (2nd from left), Jiang Mingjun (2nd from right), Huang Xingfeng (1st from right)
In her speech, President Yuan first thanked Dr. Wu Jianbing for her generous donation and the World Bank for building an international platform for SHNU’s foreign education aid and cooperation over the years. This has enabled SHNU to contribute to global education development and created opportunities for the diversified development of its international teacher education courses. She expressed gratitude to Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Tanzania Institute of Education for their trust in SHNU, and sincerely hoped the program would open new paths for Tanzanian children to receive better mathematics education in the future. President Yuan also noted that the program is expected to become a new starting point for more educational exchange initiatives between the two sides, and extended a welcome to Tanzanian teachers to visit Shanghai in person after the pandemic to deepen exchanges.
Figure 2: Yuan Wen, President of Shanghai Normal University (SHNU)
Permanent Secretary Akwilapo stated in his speech that Shanghai serves as a benchmark in the global education system, and the positive impact of the China-UK Mathematics Teacher Exchange Program is encouraging. Although Tanzania is now a lower-middle-income country, the mathematical proficiency of primary and secondary school students remains relatively weak—a gap that could hinder further development if not addressed promptly. He expressed sincere thanks to SHNU and the World Bank for their intellectual, human, and financial support, which has enabled teachers from the Tanzania Institute of Education and local secondary schools to participate in the program. Director Komba emphasized that the program is a rare opportunity and urged all participants to cherish it and achieve fruitful learning outcomes.
Figure 3: Leonard Akwilapo, Permanent Secretary of Tanzania’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Director Wu Yingjun provided a detailed overview of the development achievements of Shanghai’s education sector. In recent years, he noted, Shanghai has continuously deepened the reform and development of basic education, striving to run every school well, teach every student effectively, and empower every teacher—promoting the high-quality and balanced development of basic education. He hoped that teachers from China and Tanzania participating in the program would learn from each other and grow together.
Figure 4: Wu Yingjun, Director of the International Exchange Division of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission
Dr. Wu Jianbing, a former World Bank staff member and avid philanthropist, donated funds to support SHNU in enhancing its capacity for developing international teacher training courses. She expressed her delight that the funds are being used for the curriculum development of the Tanzanian-Shanghai Mathematics Educator Exchange Program, supporting the development of education in Africa.
Figure 5: Dr. Wu Jianbing
In her concluding speech at the opening ceremony, Dr. Liang Xiaoyan stated that the World Bank is pleased to act as a bridge for establishing cooperation between Tanzania and SHNU. With over US$1.3 billion invested in Tanzania’s education sector, the World Bank noted that the pilot program could inform the design of mathematics education and teacher training components in its basic education projects. The World Bank pledged to support the smooth implementation of future international programs and actively monitor and promote the achievements of this initiative.
Figure 6: Dr. Liang Xiaoyan
Following the opening ceremony, Dean Zhang Minxuan and Dr. Huang Xingfeng from SHNU chaired the first session of the program.
Figure 7: Training session chaired by Dean Zhang Minxuan and Professor Huang Xingfeng
It is reported that the program will run from September 3 to December 10, 2021, covering 10 thematic modules tailored for 33 mathematics educators from Tanzania. Unlike previous initiatives, the participants boast high academic qualifications and rich teaching experience: 30 are mathematics teacher educators from various teacher training colleges across Tanzania, and 3 are from affiliated secondary schools of the prestigious University of Dar es Salaam. Over 60% of the participants hold master’s or doctoral degrees.
Despite challenges such as the pandemic, cross-cultural communication barriers, and tight schedules, RIICE has developed specialized teaching materials, textbooks, and video courses exclusively for the program, all of which will be shared with the participants.
Figure 8: Training session records
The successful implementation of this program will help refine and summarize Shanghai’s educational experience, contribute to telling Chinese stories and expanding people-to-people exchanges between China and Tanzania, and further enhance the friendship between the two peoples while promoting the development of basic education and teacher education in both countries.
Figure 9: Shanghai-based teachers delivering courses
