The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Higher Learning Institions (HLIs) in
provision of quality socio-economic development in Tanzania. In the new knowledge economy,
the main roles of HLIs are: to provide high level manpower needs of the society, provide new
knowledge and diffusing it into the national economy, provide services to the community and
provide employment to the community. In reality, however, not much of the above mentioned
roles has been done. If higher education is to become the drivers of high productivity,
competition and socio-economic development, the following factors need to be taken on board:
First, there is a need to re-think and to re-define the purpose of establishing the higher education
to match with the local needs. Second, there is a need to prepare students for the future by
building capacity for curiousity, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and imagination.
Finally, the curriculum of the higher education must be liberated from the tyranny of the course
book and content. Teaching and learning must be thematic, driven by experimentation, discovery
and problem-solving based approaches.