By Staff Writer
Dar es Salaam, 12 August 2026
Mr. JIANG YUNTAO, Chairman of CRJE (East Africa) Ltd and Chairman of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Tanzania, has reaffirmed CRJE’s commitment to develop local talent, saying that in 10 years Tanzanian engineers, technicians and managers will be leading major construction projects in the country.
Mr. Jiang made the remarks during the "China-Tanzania Dialogue on Youth Development and Exchange" held in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday.
The Dialogue brought together *more than 100 representatives* from the governments of China and Tanzania, universities, infrastructure companies, media, civil society and students. It is being held in a landmark year as 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of China-Africa diplomatic relations and has been declared the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges."
*50 YEARS OF BUILDING PEOPLE, NOT JUST PROJECTS*
Mr. Jiang said that for the past fifty years, CRJE has made the growth of local talent a priority.
"From the construction of the TAZARA Railway to the Nyerere Bridge and the Dodoma High Court, our commitment has remained the same: to build not only infrastructure, but also people," Mr. Jiang said.
He explained that through cooperation with universities, vocational training institutions, and professionals, CRJE has continuously provided Tanzanian youth with opportunities for skills development, practical learning, and career growth. These programs include on-the-job training, master-apprentice mentorship, skills competitions, and university-enterprise collaboration.
"We believe that sustainable cooperation and development is not only about building projects of steel and concrete. It is also about helping with the growth of young people, because they are the future of one nation," he said.
The Chairman expressed hope that through the newly launched "Chinese Masters, Tanzanian Heritage" program, young people from both countries can deepen mutual understanding. "When a Chinese engineer mentors a Tanzanian youth, and when a Tanzanian student brings local knowledge to a Chinese project, that is how we build a lasting friendship," he said.
*YOUTH PLACED AT THE CENTER*
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Tanzania, H.E. CHEN Mingjian said that young people carry the future of China-Tanzania relations and must be placed at the centre of cooperation between the two countries.
"Over the past seven decades, China and Tanzania have written a remarkable chapter of solidarity and cooperation. Our friendship has been tested by time and proven by action. From the TAZARA Railway to the Nyerere Bridge, our cooperation has always put people at the center," she said.
Ambassador Chen emphasized that youth are an important force in building the new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future. She expressed three hopes for youth exchanges: to be "dream-chasers" who integrate personal growth with national development, a "bridge of mutual learning" through cultural exchange, and a "vital force" for common development in vocational skills, infrastructure, the digital economy and green development.
"Friendship between states lies in people-to-people exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges hinge on youth," she said. Ambassador Chen also announced that the Embassy will work with partners to expand scholarship opportunities and youth exchange programs in the coming year.
*PUT SKILLS AND INNOVATION AT THE CORE*
Speaking on behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Fredrick Salukele, Director of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said cooperation must now evolve beyond infrastructure and trade to place youth, knowledge, skills and innovation at the core of the partnership.
"The world of work is changing rapidly because of Artificial Intelligence, automation and new technologies. Our education and training systems must be dynamic. We must prepare young people not only for the jobs that exist today, but also equip them with the adaptability, creativity and technological capabilities required for the jobs and enterprises of tomorrow," he said.
He urged Chinese companies operating in Tanzania to integrate structured skills and knowledge transfer into their investments through mentorship, apprenticeship training, research, innovation, technology transfer and professional certification.
"The goal is to create more learning opportunities for Tanzanian youth and to extend people-to-people exchange to 'skills-to-skills' exchange. Together we can nurture a generation capable of shaping the future and driving shared prosperity," Dr. Salukele said.
*UDSM: UNIVERSITIES AS ENGINES OF THE TRIPLE-HELIX PARTNERSHIP*
Prof. Baraka J. Maiseli, Principal of the College of Information and Communication Technologies, University of Dar es Salaam, spoke on the role of universities in the next phase of cooperation. He shared his personal experience as a Chinese Government Scholarship student in China from 2012 to 2015.
"That experience gave me new knowledge, professional networks, research experience, and showed me the transforming power of international education. I returned to Tanzania determined to contribute to our country’s development," Prof. Maiseli said.
He highlighted three concrete results from UDSM-China cooperation: the Huawei ICT Academy at UDSM training students in cloud computing, AI, 5G and cybersecurity; growth in two-way academic mobility with over 60,000 Tanzanians having studied in China and nearly 100 Chinese students coming to UDSM in 2025; and the need for a Triple-Helix Model.
"We need Industry to provide technology, real-world problems and jobs. We need Universities to provide research, talent and innovation. And we need Government to take prototypes to market and create the enabling environment. When these three work together, we create jobs and prosperity," he said.
Prof. Maiseli concluded: "Chinese and Tanzanian youth must sit together and solve practical problems. Don’t just write papers. Build solutions. Start companies. Lead the next 60 years of Tanzania-China friendship."
*GROUND STORY: FROM FRONTLINE WORKER TO PROJECT ENGINEER*
At the event, Eng. Titus Lukuwi, a Tanzanian engineer at CRJE, shared his growth story. He started as a frontline employee in 2022 and through CRJE East Africa’s mentorship and training in 2023 and 2025 became a core technical staff member.
"When I was given my first assignment I was afraid to say I don’t know. But CRJE gave me a welcoming environment. Senior engineers took time to train us on site," Eng. Lukuwi said. "Today I am part of a team delivering quality infrastructure for Tanzania."
*STUDENT VOICE: "WE ARE READY TO BUILD THE NEXT 60 YEARS"*
Brian Samuel, a 3rd Year Student at CoICT, UDSM, speaking on behalf of students said the Dialogue gave them hope and direction.
"We don’t just want certificates. We want to build real projects, learn from engineers on site, and get certified in skills that companies actually need. We promise to work hard and use technology to solve Tanzania’s problems," Brian said.
The Dialogue was jointly hosted by Xufang International Media of China International Communications Group (CICG), CRJE, and the University of Dar es Salaam.
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