It is espoused that the Institute of Development Studies is to be a centre of academic excellence in generating knowledge for a sustainable development process in Tanzania and Africa through research, teaching, advisory services and outreach activities.

The mission of the Institute of Development Studies is to promote knowledge on development issues in Tanzania and Africa through sound research, teaching, consultancy, outreach activities and publication by advocating creativity, innovativeness, professionalism and team spirit

Objectives

The overall objective of the Institute of Development Studies is to provide conducive environment for generating, propagating and preserving knowledge about development issues in Tanzania, Africa and other developing countries. More specifically, the objectives of IDS include:

• To ensure dissemination of knowledge about socio-economic development to the community through research, interventions, publication and advisory services in Tanzania and beyond
• To introduce students to development perspectives and factors influencing the development process in developing countries by enabling them to learn concepts and theories of socio–economic development in developing countries
• To introduce students to key issues relating to international development;
• To equip students with analytical skills of incorporating crosscutting issues such as gender, HIV/AIDS and environment in development;
• To introduce students to the impact and role of governance in socio–economic development; and
• To enable students to disseminate and apply the acquired knowledge in combating poverty in all its manifestations.