Beautiful views

As promised, here are the pictures of the State University of Zanzibar Tunguu campus. It is so sunny and beautiful. These are the big academic and administrative buildings.

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This is the library.

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Here is the view from the library.

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They also have a resource room of various materials to support the teaching of children with special needs in their inclusive education program. They have had a lot of computers and braille machines purchased from a grant for the room.

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The students made this fabric poster with different practical skills that people participate in their community. It is hard to see in the picture, they have sewn buttons on the fabric to be the braille letters for the words in the pictures. It was a class project and so clever and a great use of cheap, locally available materials.

 

Yesterday, I met the Vice Chancellor, the DP of Academic Affairs and the DP of Administrative Affairs. They were very nice and welcoming. I was particularly impressed with all their support for the programs and the active work they are doing to improve the university and all the work with different partners around the world. In addition, they are taking advantage of technology and using many resources online. The campus has good wireless and wired internet in the offices.

I have also noticed subtle cultural differences between Zanzibar and other places in Tanzania I have been. While I realize that I have mostly been with Tanzanians and in situations where I am a professor, when I have been out in the market or walking by a very popular football match, I did not feel harassed. I have not been in downtown Stone Town yet, where many tourists are, but there is just a different feel here so far. Hopefully this weekend I will get out and do some exploring in Stone Town or on the beaches of the island.

On the way to the university one day, we had to stop and pull over because the second vice president was leaving his house to go to the airport or into town. The motorcade and stopping of traffic was the same procedure as in the US and rather orderly.

 

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