Prof. Makie Taal, Vice Chancellor of the International Open University (IOU), and Dr. Mohamed Salum, IOU Tanzania Representative, had the privilege of meeting Dr. Telemu J. Kassile, Director of Accreditation at the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU). Dr. Ibrahim, Quality Assurance Officer of TCU, was also present at the meeting.

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of IOU partnering with accredited colleges in Tanzania to jointly offer academic programs.

The Director of Accreditation provided a clear and detailed explanation of the standards and guidelines governing university partnerships in Tanzania, outlining the modes of collaboration recognized by TCU. He noted that for a partnership to succeed under TCU's framework, both institutions involved must be accredited, and any jointly offered programs must also carry accreditation. He further explained the process by which two institutions determine how the jointly offered program is awarded. An alternative route, he added, would be establishing a branch campus in Tanzania — though this would come at a considerably higher cost than the partnership model. He also clarified that once a Tanzanian institution signs an MoU with IOU, TCU must be formally notified of the partnership and provided with the relevant curriculum. Following review, TCU would then issue a letter confirming approval, allowing the programs to proceed.

The meeting proved highly productive, providing IOU with valuable insight and guidance. Moving forward, IOU will use this information to structure its partnership framework and begin developing MoUs to formally start the collaboration process with other educational institutions in Tanzania.