The open University Of Tanzania awarded president Obama an Honorary Doctorate Degree

The Honourable Chancellor of The Open University of Tanzania, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro
has approved the award of an Honorary Doctorate Degree of The Open University of
Tanzania Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) honoris causa to His Excellency The President of The
United States of America, Barack Obama for his outstanding contribution to humanity and
in particular in the field of Community Economic Development (CED). President Obama
will be the fifth President to be awarded the Honorary Doctorate Degree by The
University.
Other distinguished OUT Alumni include the late Father of the Nation Mwalimu Julius
Nyerere, The former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, The former President of
the United Republic of Tanzania Benjamin William Mkapa and the second President of the
United Republic of Tanzania Alli Hassan Mwinyi. To date, OUT has awarded a total of
seven (7) Honorary Degrees that have also been previously awarded to Dr. Jane Goodall
and a UK Professor of Telecommunications David Mellor.
The Open University was the first University to introduce postgraduate studies in
Community Economic Development in Tanzania in the year 2001 when it started offering a
Master of Science Degree in Community Development of The Southern New Hampshire
University (SNHU) of USA. In the academic year 2009/10, the Open University of Tanzania
started awarding its own Masters Degree (Master of Economic Community Development,
MCED) following conclusion of the capacity building phase that was supported by the
SNHU. In the next academic year i.e. 2013/14, OUT expects to start awarding Certificates,
a Bachelor Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Community Economic Development due
to the popular demand of such training skills in Tanzania
The University is however not yet sure if it will be able to award the honorary degree to HE
during his imminent visit to Tanzania but if it does not get the opportunity to do so, it will
use other means to confer HE President Barack Obama the Honorary Degree.
Prepared by The Office of The Vice Chancellor
The Open University of Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
27th June 2013