The current Campus of the University of Iringa started off initially as Iringa Lutheran College in 1993/94 offering Courses leading to the award of a Diploma in Theology. In 1995/96 the first undergraduate students were enrolled for a course leading to  the award of Bachelor of  Business Administration. These  graduated 1998 when this College became part of Tumaini University as Iringa University College (IUCO) and was the first registered private University in Tanzania. In 2010 Tumaini University was changed to Tumaini University Makumira and the Iringa Campus being a constituent College of Tumaini University Makumira as Iringa University College. In 2013, the Tumaini University Makumira Iringa University College became a fully fledged University with the new name University of Iringa.(UoI)

From its inception, the courses offered at the University of Iringa were designed to address problems facing the community, the private sector and the Church.  This University was a pioneer in offering Bachelor degree programs in Theology, Community Development, Journalism, Cultural Anthropology and Tourism, Counselling Psychology, Business Administration and Bachelor of Education in Mathematics.  As a result, Graduates of this University hold significant positions in the government, the private sector and the church.

Currently the University of Iringa has six faculties, namely, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Science and Education, Faculty of Business and Economics, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Counseling and Psychology. Under these Faculties the University runs a number of undergraduate and post graduate programmes.

In the past decade the University of Iringa embarked on a journey to become an entrepreneurial University. This led to the vision of the University “to become a centre of excellence for training competent, competitive, ethical, spiritual and entrepreneurial leaders and for quality research and public service of a third generation University”.

Different initiatives have been implemented towards achieving the above stated vision. Among these initiatives was the creation of a new Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, CEI. The major mandate of the centre is to integrate entrepreneurship in all academic programs of the University and stimulating innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives in the community, especially in the Southern Highlands.

The Centre for Entrepreneurship has been piloting a new program called Team Academy, which uses the experiential learning approach or in other words learning by doing. Lecturers transform themselves into coachers after lecturing in order to impart skills and know how to students. In this way, the University of Iringa is proving to be a leader in transforming entrepreneurship education in the country and indeed we would like to brand ourselves and be known as a pioneer of radical and impactful entrepreneurial education that equips students with skills and competence to become entrepreneurs or better employees.

The outreach programs such as the Microfinance Project serve Communities irrespective of their religious, political or tribal affiliations.  The centre for entrepreneurship and innovation has attracted students and youths from surrounding communities to get skills in business start-ups and managing small and medium enterprises.. A unique innovation hub known as “Kiota” hub is proving to be a very useful business startup centre for both formal University students as well as youth not registered formally at the University.

Fostering an international outlook, the University maintains collaborative  links with a number of institutions of higher learning which have international reputation. They include the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA); St. Marks Lutheran Church, St. Paul Area Synod (USA); Georg-August-Universitaet Gottingen (Germany); Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak, Finland); the University of Joensuu (Finland); The Aga Khan University; The Maastricht School of Management; and the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Academic members from these institutions come and serve as visiting lecturers and Professors in our University.

The University of Iringa is proud to be associated with the government initiative to promote tourism in the Southern highlands through the Fahari Yetu Project.Karibu kusini, karibu Iringa. Welcome to the Southern Highlands, Welcome to the University of Iringa.

Prof. Ndelilio A. Urio

Vice Chancellor