DAR ES SALAAM: KOREA-TRAINED Tanzanian professionals have been urged to apply the knowledge and skills acquired through development cooperation programmes to improve healthcare, strengthen institutions and enhance community livelihoods.
The call was made in Dar es Salaam during the 2026 Korea Night-Joint Alumni reunion, which brought together graduates of Korea-supported training programmes and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for lasting development partnerships.
Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) Tanzania Country Representative Gyeongbae Seo said the gathering provided a platform for alumni of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), KOFIH and Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) programmes to exchange experiences and identify areas for collaboration.
He urged alumni to establish lasting partnerships, mentor fellow professionals and act as bridges between Korea and Tanzania by applying their training to improve institutions and public services.
KOICA Tanzania Country Director Sikhyon Kim said more than 2,200 Tanzanian alumni had participated in KOICA scholarship and capacity-building programmes.
He noted that development cooperation achieved greater impact when beneficiaries shared and applied the knowledge acquired in their home institutions and communities.
Opening the event, Zanzibar Deputy Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Dr Seif Mzee, said translating acquired skills, experience and technology into practical solutions was essential to strengthening the economy and empowering young people.
He said the knowledge and experience gained through training in Korea created opportunities for partnerships, exchange of ideas and new areas of cooperation.
Dr Mzee added that collaboration could advance skills development and strengthen the blue economy for the mutual benefit of Zanzibar and Korea.
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During panel discussions, participants emphasised the need to move beyond shortterm, project-based assistance towards sustainable partnerships that strengthen local leadership, promote innovation and deliver measurable benefits to communities.
Global Korea Scholarship Vice-President Dr Robert Suphian said priorities included sustainable project financing, impact evaluation, healthcare system strengthening, community ownership and private-sector collaboration.
Participants stressed that the success of development cooperation should be measured not by the number of people trained or projects completed, but by lasting institutional improvements and tangible benefits to communities.
Representatives of KOFIH Global Alumni, KOICA alumni networks and GKS also shared their activities and experiences following their training in Korea.
KOFIH reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the KOFIH Global Alumni network and strengthening professional exchanges among healthcare workers.
The initiative aims to promote sustainable healthcare cooperation and deepen professional and people-to-people ties between Tanzania and Korea.