Sub-Project 7 (ICT & Smart Sustainable Inclusive Cities) successfully hosted a one-day Co-Design Workshop bringing together ICT students and academic staff under the VLIR-UOS IUC Programme at Ardhi University. The workshop created a dynamic platform where participants engaged directly with real urban challenges across all IUC sub-projects and jointly designed practical ICT-based interventions aligned with the vision of smart, sustainable, and inclusive city development in Dar es Salaam. The workshop opened with short presentations for each IUC sub-project, giving students a grounded understanding of where ICT innovation is most needed; from land use planning and decent housing to urban transport, cultural heritage, gender inclusion, and city-wide data infrastructure. Students then formed mixed groups and worked through structured brainstorming and concept development sessions, guided by academic staff serving as coaches throughout the process. A key methodological highlight was the use of the Value Proposition Canvas, which students applied to articulate and validate their proposed solutions. The VPC helped each group clearly define the problem they were solving, identify who their solution serves, and demonstrate how their ICT intervention creates tangible value for its intended beneficiaries, ensuring ideas were grounded in real needs rather than technology alone. In a single day, 39 actionable ICT project concepts were generated across all seven IUC thematic areas, a direct demonstration of the innovation potential within ARU's student and academic community when given the right platform and methodology. By mobilising ARU's student community and ICT expertise at scale, the workshop firmly established SP7's role as a transversal enabler across the entire IUC programme bridging technology, research, and real urban challenges in Dar es Salaam.

Subproject 7, successfully conducted a two-day Cyber Safety Essentials Training for first-year and final-year students on 28–29 April 2026. The training was facilitated by cybersecurity experts from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and aimed at strengthening students’ awareness and practical skills in cybersecurity and digital responsibility. The sessions covered key area including; Increased Cyber Awareness, Safer Digital Behaviour, Peer-to-Peer Advocacy, Safer Institutional Environment and responsible social media use, and personal data protection. Three hundred 300 students participated in the training. The training significantly enhanced students’ cybersecurity awareness and promoted safer digital practices within the university community. Participants gained practical skills to identify and respond to common cyber threats, reducing vulnerability to online attacks and data breaches. The programme also empowered students to act as cyber safety ambassadors within their communities while improving their digital literacy and an increasingly technology-driven world.

Discussions with officers from Bagamoyo District Council during an information session introducing the VLIR project under SP3. The officers are drawn from the Land, Environment, Trade, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Community Development Departments. The session, chaired by Prof. Makarius Mdemu, highlights the focus of SP3 in training, research, and societal outreach activities.