Through the University of Detroit Mercy’s collaboration with Loyola High School in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, a November visit from faculty member Joseph Albert was prompted in which he shared his insight with UDM.
Albert is from East Africa, specifically Tanzania, and is a former student of Loyola High School, fueling his commitment to the school, which is shown in his roles as the administrator for all activities and coordinator of the study abroad program.
In fact, one of his biggest passions is teaching, and he does so at the high school in the area of economic business studies. He focuses on connecting social relations to Ignatian tradition and or Jesuit values.
Furthermore, Albert aims to reinforce the collaboration between UDM and Loyola by coming to campus and continuing the work they previously had done online.
“I’m here to connect with the Fulbright Coordinator here at UDM…the project began far back when UDM staff and faculties visited Loyola High School,” he said. “We began doing that preparation in order to seek the funding from the U.S. government, which we are expecting Loyola High School and UDM to have a collaborative in 2026.”
Additionally, Albert was a guest speaker in a discussion hosted by the Detroit Mercy Economics Club, where he shared his knowledge of the Tanzanian economy and the broader East African region, offering first-hand perspectives on the dynamics shaping these economies.
Moreover, he explained the Tanzanian belief in unity through community, known as Ujamaa, which connects with UDM’s Jesuit and Mercy values of community, service and social justice.
“I was able to attend the philosophy class to share the Ujamaa philosophy…which is the basis of African socialism in relation to the current landscape when it comes to the African philosophy and the development in which we are trying to envision,” he said.
His visit was a part of an inspiring week of events that included classroom visits, a Zoom lecture and a meet and greet, as UDM strengthened its partnership with Loyola High School.
In doing so, Albert hopes that the U.S. government will provide the Fulbright Hays Program, which would allow funding for a student exchange program, allowing UDM students to do an internship or study abroad Loyola High School as one of the destinations.
“I hope the exchange will be much stronger and everlasting because of the name and the values,” he said. “We are also expecting some of our students to be joining UDM.”
