When you think of Tanzanians seeking further studies abroad, countries that would come to mind would be the United States, England, and, most recently, China. But there are those Tanzanians who go far beyond in search of education opportunities. What they encounter couldn’t be told in one sitting.
The cultural shock they experience and the beauty of human connection that transcends language, norms and traditions, Many Tanzanians who make up a large population of the diaspora community travelled to foreign countries for further studies, and some decided to start a new life there, and some decided to return home, and their tales of their years abroad give Tanzanians a rare glimpse into their experiences overseas.
Bariki Mwasaga has travelled to several countries, including Germany, South Africa, and Italy. He went to Italy in November 2018 to pursue his PhD in political science, public policies, and globalisation at the University of Perugia. Founded in 1308, it is one of the oldest universities in Europe.
His time there will always be memorable; unlike other countries in Europe, Italy exposed him to a contrasting norm and a different way of life that took him on a rollercoaster journey as he navigated his studies and daily life there for four years. Fate would land him in the Land of Rome. He initially studied his master’s degree in German, but somehow he couldn’t secure a spot for further studies there.
He spread his search for an institution to other countries, to the Czech Republic and Italy. The scholarship offer he received from Italy was a blessing and the financial relief he was looking for. Unlike most people, he wasn’t so keen to study in the US or China, the favourite destination among many Tanzanian scholars.
He moved to the city of Perugia in central Italy in 2018, and the language barrier was evident but not much of a hindrance. His studies were mainly in English; apart from seminars when professors would come in and teach in Italian, after a while he picked up on a few words, which were essential during the seminars, but he also had to employ the use of gadgets to translate.
The university allowed students to seek other opportunities for study workshops outside the university, which he fully utilised to look for English sessions available within Italy and other European countries. These short learning sessions took him to France, Greece, Germany, and Switzerland.
It was an incredible experience that took him across Europe, further expanding his horizon as he absorbed all the valuable education.
“It really helped me connect to other scholars who were knowledgeable in areas I was researching,” he explained. It was an opportunity he wasn’t expecting but of which he fully took advantage. Bariki thought his previous study and stay in Germany would prepare him for Italy.
He figured European ways of life and culture would be similar, but he was in for a pleasant surprise. The process of coordinating his start of studies at the university and his accommodation was not seamless.
While in Germany, his stay was coordinated, and the hostel and university were well informed, with all his details available beforehand. In Italy, he had to go through the process of physically visiting all the officers from the hostel to the university to get his information in the system.
“In Italy, they treat you like you’re a native, so they expect you to know everything,” he said. It truly lives up to ‘when you are in Rome, do what Romans do.’
He had to adapt quickly, amidst the cultural shock. He found out that Italians like to keep to themselves. Even at the university, other than the initial welcoming, not many would interact with him.
Luck would have it that he met one Italian who would become his friend. He took his time to take him around and help him on his way. He partly thinks the rise of illegal African immigrants could have played a role in the locals’ disassociation with Africans.
He decided to move in with the Tanzanian community there. He had to have a candid talk with his new landlord, who happened to be a Tanzanian who had been a resident of Italy for more than two decades.
The landlord told him that the situation wasn’t always like that; in the past, Italians loved Africans, and even women admired dating African men, but with the rise of illegal African immigrants.
Some of those would engage in illegal activities like pickpocketing and hardcore crimes like drug dealing. This has tainted the image of Africa and even the legitimate African scholars in Europe, but Bariki insists he never faced any harsh treatment at the hands of the law.
He was observant of the company he kept and was careful with his daily activities, and a law-abiding resident. Many Africans fell victim to the raids at African shops, where they were arrested for disorderly conduct.
Those are the places he avoided, and he was wise in choosing Tanzanians to hang out with. The quality of education in Italy is top-notch, but it is not a simple cruise to attain the degree. Focus is a necessity, Bariki said.
Besides the language barrier, one has to concentrate on the books lest one fail to graduate. He knows some people who took 6 years to graduate with a four-year degree and some who couldn’t finish their studies together.
Their education system allows students to study for up to six or seven years for a four-year degree. ‘It is not a complicated education system, but not an easy one, but if one decides to focus, you will study and complete on time,” he said.
One thing that stood out with Italian education, in particular the University of Perugia, is that the examination is more oral than written. You sit with a panel that interviews you, and you elaborately explain your answers.
A system, Bariki said, helps eliminate cramming, or memorising answers, but makes one understand what he has been studying.
It is also compulsory to attend lectures; they keep records of attendance and the duration a student has to be in a session. This rigorous study procedure honed Bariki as he was attaining his PhD.
The PhD that he now utilises as a civil servant as an economist at the Prime Minister’s office in Dodoma. He is thankful that Tanzania allowed him to seek higher education outside the country. He is now championing other Tanzanians to study abroad. He urges them to not only seek master’s degrees, which are dwindling, but also to consider PhD scholarships, which are more readily available.
“In Europe, their PhD themes vary according to the professional and educational needs in their countries at that period of time,” he said. “Your studies also become part of their research; you get the certificate and a working experience, and their country gets the information in their findings,” he added.
In Italy, when you are in pursuit of a PhD, you are urged to spend the second year of your studies in another country, for which Italy pays you.
Bariki chose to spend his second year studying in South Africa. This is an incredible opportunity, he hopes other Tanzanians will seek. You not only get to study but also to build a network with your peers globally, which can be very instrumental later in life.
“Studying only in Tanzania might confine you because the world is becoming a connected village,” he added. “You might even be able to get employment outside Tanzania as your reputation grows,” he said.
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