PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has been conferred an honorary doctorate degree in leadership by Mzumbe University, marking the sixth honorary degree awarded to the president since assuming office.

Vice Chancellor Prof. William Mwegoha made this affirmation at the university’s graduation ceremony in Morogoro on Friday, where President Samia was the chief guest.

He said the decision to honour the president stemmed from carefully evaluating the solid contributions during the three years she has been at the helm of the state.

 “This doctorate serves as recognition of the president's efforts toward sustainable development in Tanzania and beyond,” he said, noting that the president made history as Tanzania's first woman taking up as top national leader, as vice president and then as president

During the three years of her leadership significant achievements have been realized, making the president a deserving recipient of the honorary doctorate.

He commended President Samia for being a role model in leadership at the domestic and even at an international level, pointing out that before this recognition, the Head of State had already received five honorary doctorates.

These awards relate to various disciplines, awarded by local and foreign universities, where the Mzumbe VC said that this was the first time the president is offered an honorary doctorate exclusively for exemplary leadership. Earlier citations for the doctorate honoris causa were conferred by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), the Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, Ankara University in Turkey, and the Korea National University of Aviation.

In the latest citation, the decision also marks the first honorary doctorate to be awarded by Mzumbe University, where Prof. Cyriacus Binamungu, rector for the Mzumbe University Dar es Salaam campus, elaborated on the rationale for awarding the citation.

He pointed at the president's leadership successes across various sectors, including health, education, infrastructure, diplomacy, the economy and democracy.

Her three years of tenure so far as president has seen the government introduce the R4s philosophy - reconciliation, resilience, reform and rebuilding – laying the foundation for good governance, he stated, similarly expressing admiration for the move to set up the Criminal Justice Commission, along with other transformative initiatives.

“These are just a few of the milestones achieved under President Samia’s leadership,” he said, stressing on her spirit of dedication to improving the welfare of Tanzanians.

Prof Saida Yahya-Othman, who chairs the council of Mzumbe University, described the conferring of the honorary doctorate as “a unique milestone for both the recipient and the institution.”

This was Mzumbe’s first honorary doctorate, underscoring its significance as a salutary move to recognize the work of a sitting national leader who is also an alumna of the university, the don added.