Tanzanian-German Centre for Eastern African Legal Studies (TGCL)

We promote teaching and research in the fields of regional integration and East African Community law. We offer Master of Laws (LLM) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree programmes. We have regularly provided scholarships for students from all six EAC Partner States, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Since 2008, we have awarded more than 150 scholarships for the LLM and PhD programmes.

Our primary aim is to give law students from Partner States of the East African Community (EAC) a sound training in regional integration and east African law. We have a long-term goal of preparing future decision makers who will assume national, regional and international leadership positions.

Our research focus is on regional integration and East African Community law. Through our programmes, students acquire knowledge of the broad concept of regional integration and of the structures and functioning of the EAC and its institutions. The students are also offered comparative perspectives by studying selected legal aspects of other regional economic communities in Africa and beyond.

Regional integration has a crucial significance in the political, social, and most importantly, economic development of the EAC Partner States. We envision a healthy and successful EAC full of opportunities for citizens of the Partner States with a good knowledge of regional integration and Community law. This will create and nurture a conducive atmosphere for thriving trade, investments, production and positive competition within the Partner States and the region at large.

Our major achievement is our successful postgraduate studies programme. TGCL alumni have assumed leadership positions in various national, regional and international institutions. Our alumni are now playing active leadership roles as judges, university lecturers, and in different government and private sector institutions.

Another remarkable area of achievement is research. Since 2008, we have conducted at least two international conferences and workshops every year on diverse issues related to regional integration and East African Community law. We have published a considerable number of books, including conference volumes in the TGCL series and monographs in the TGCL Research Series.

Through all these activities, the TGCL has fostered a continuing cultural dialogue between East Africa and Europe, especially Germany.

Our success would not have been possible had it not been for the enormous and constant support of our sponsors. From its inception, TGCL has been sponsored by the German Foreign Office through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).