Mark Mwandosya Biography – Background, Education and More

Born 28th December 1949, Mark J. Mwandosya is a retired Tanzanian politician. As a member of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, he represented the Rungwe East constituency in the Tanzanian parliament.

Career

Tanganyika African National Union Involvement

Between 1967 and 1968, Mr. Mark Mwandosya was a prominent youth figure of the Tanganyika African National Union; he eventually became a member of the body in 1971. He remained with TANU when it morphed into Chama Cha Mapinduzi in 1997. Mwandosya taught at the University of Dar es Salaam between 1977 to 1987; first as a lecturer between 1977 and 1980, then as a senior lecturer for the next three years, and finally as an associate professor between 1983 and 1987.

Commissioner at the Ministry of Minerals

Between 1985 and 1990, he served as a commissioner at the Ministry of Minerals, Energy, and Water. He was also a Principal Secretary at the ministry between 1990 and 1992; he held this same position at the Ministry of Trade and Industries from 1992 to 1993. He returned to the University of Dar es Salaam between 1994 and 2000 as a professor.

CCM Member of Parliament

He has been a CCM member of the Tanzanian parliament since 2000, serving as the Minister of Transport and Communication from 2000 to 2005. Subsequently, he was appointed Minister of State responsible for the environment in the office of the Vice-President on 4th January 2006. On 12th February 2008, Mark Mwandosya was reassigned to the position of Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources.

Professor at the University of Dar es Salaam

Mark Mwandosya was a professor of electrical engineering and held an endowed Professorial Research Chair in Energy Management and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam. He has more than two decades of lecturing and professional experience in the USA, Norway, and Tanzania. He has invested much of his time in studies and research in energy and natural resource use and development. He has served as a consultant on many projects in Tanzania and Africa. Professor Mwandsoya also worked as the Team Leader of the group that drafted the SADC Energy Protocol. He also drafted protocols on Natural Resources and Energy for the African Economic Community and the Organization of African Unity.

Tanzanian Petroleum Refining Co. Ltd Chairperson

He has been the Chairperson of the Italian and Tanzanian Petroleum Refining Co. Ltd., Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Petrol Development Corp., Chairperson of the National Urban Water Authority, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kibo paper Limited, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organization, Chairperson of Williamson Diamonds Limited, Chairperson of the Council of College of Business Education, and Chairperson of Williamson Diamonds Limited. Professor Mark Mwandosya has also served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Southern Africa Development through Electricity.

Chairperson, Director of Many Boards and Author

Mark Mwandosya has also served as Vice-Chairperson of the National Development Corporation. He has served as a director on many boards, such as TANESCO, Tanzania Posts, and Telecommunications Corporation, AGIP Limited, the UNESCO National Commission, Tanzania Commission for Technology and Science, Tanzania National Scientific Research Council, Tanzania Petrol Development Commission, Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority, and Tanzania Zambia Pipelines Limited. He wa a non-executive commissioner of the Tanzania Communication Commission and a Member of the Council of Mzumbe-based Institute of Development Management and the Sokoine University of Agriculture. Mark Mwandosya has participated in sector reforms, including privatization and the preparation of Tanzania’s long-term development plan (Vision 2025).

Professor Mwandpsya has authored many books and contributed to many publications in the areas of water, engineering systems, utility regulation, environment, and energy. Since 1993, he has actively participated in climate change affairs in Tanzania and headed the Climate Change Studies Program in Tanzania. Since 1995, he has also attended meetings of Conferences of Parties and Subsidiary Bodies of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 1997, Professor Mwandosya was the Chairperson of the Group of 77 and spokesperson for China and the Group of 77 at meetings of the subsidiary entities for the convention on climate change and during discussions for the Kyoto Protocol. The Tanzania Postal Services issued a special stamp to recognize his environmental protection advocacy in 2007. Currently, he’s a member of the Working Committee of the International Resource Panel of UNEP.

Mark Mwandosya Education

• 1957 to 1958 – Majengo Pri
• 1959 to 1960 – White Fathers Primary School
• 1961 to 1964 – Chunya Middle School
• 1965 to 1968 – Malangali Secondary School
• 1969 Dar es Sakaam Technical College
• 1971 to 1974 – Aston University, United Kingdom (BSc Engineering)
• 1974 to 19777 – the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom  (Ph.D. Electrical and Electronics Engineering)

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