THE Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TEC) and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology have officially opened the window for eligible applicants to apply for opportunities to study for a Master's Degree in nuclear science technology through the Samia Scholarship Extended (SSE) Scheme 2024/25.

During this fiscal year, the government had set aside a total of 1.6bn/- to enable TAEC to sponsor at least five local students to study for Master's Degrees in different fields of nuclear science technology at diverse universities outside the country.

Announcing the vital development over the weekend, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda said the vision behind the scholarship was to plug the existing shortage of availability of the experts in field of nuclear science within the country.

Prof Mkenda urged the science trainers at the local universities to apply for the chance.

He expressed, that rolling out of the scholarship was part of concerted efforts by the government to mold and increase the number of nuclear experts in the country.

"Since the 2022/23 financial year, the government through the Ministry of Education embarked on a helpful strategy of rolling out 100 percent scholarship towards the best science students at the advanced secondary level," he said.

The scholarship, according to him, touches the qualified students who opt to undertake their first degree in Science, Information, and Technology (IT), Engineering, and Mathematics subjects, gears to further improve the performance of the science sector in Tanzania.

"Research has so far established that Tanzania faces a tall deficit of experts in the nuclear science sector, making it necessary for the government to come up with a tailor-made viable initiative to help curtail the deficit," he observed.

"For instance" Minister Mkenda expressed, "In Tanzania, there are only six experts of Medical Physics as well as the Nuclear Medical Doctors," he unveiled, adding that the country has only one Radiochemistry expert and two Radiopharmacists.

"Demand for nuclear science technology in Tanzania keeps on skyrocketing daily thus, we must mold a good number of the relevant high-profile experts," Prof Mkenda insisted.

Prof Najat Mohammed, TAEC director general expressed that the qualified applicants are supposed to fill out the relevant forms that are available through the TAEC's website.

However, the newly picked TAEC Chief Boss informed us that the forms are also available through the Ministry of Education's website.

"This scholarship covers five key areas of studies, including nuclear medicine and pace airborne technology," she said.

Prof Najat also said the oversaw universities under the scholarship are those recognized by the Tanzania Commission of University (TCU), in several countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Finland, and South Korea, among others.

TAEC is an institution responsible for the control of the safe use of radiation in the country and the promotion of the safe use of nuclear technology in the country where this Institute is under the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.