Employees of the Insitute of IRHOS of KFU visited Tanzania. This is what they had to tell about their experience.

The end of summer for associate professors Ayida Fattakhova and Nailya Mingazova was marked by a visit to University of Dar es Salaam. They had an internship at the Institute of Kiswahili Studies. For two weeks they had been learning grammar, spoken language, and educational methods, after which they received certificates.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between UDES and KFU in May 2014. From now on such visits will be possible not only for the faculty but also for the students of both universities.

The Russian guests met with Director of the Institute of Kiswahili Studies Ernest E. Mosha and his deputy Prof. Aldin Mutembei and reached an agreement to send students of KFU to Tanzania.

The ladies visited Zanzibar Island as a part of their leisure programme. During that trip they sat down with A. Zlobin, a SPbSU graduate who is a Kiswahili expert and has worked in Tanzanian tourism industry for 6 years now. They also visited Mikumi National Park thanks to the support from the Russian embassy worker M. Nikolskaya.

The associate professors found time to study the peculiarities of Muslim education by visiting the Sunni school on Zanzibar and Shiite Al Muntazir school in Dar es Salaam. The students spend 14 years here – from 4 to 18. The studies are in English. Naturally, all students also have to take Kiswahili and Arabic.

Every school has attire requirements. Cosmetics, perfume, and mobile phones are prohibited during study hours.

Interestingly enough, all the schools are also open for Christians. They have to abide by the uniform rules (namely, headscarves for girls since the age of 12), but they, of course, are not required to take part in prayers which are mandatory for Muslim children.

Note: Karibu Tanzania means «Welcome to Tanzania» in Kiswahili.