Partnerships for Sustainable Community Development (PSCD) is a long-term collaborative alliance of local and international organizations dedicated to improving local livelihoods. The partnership was established at Michigan State University (MSU) in 2007 as a means to improve community well-being while generating knowledge about the development process itself.

Our Mission

To find long-term solutions, build capacity, and create collaborations that promote resilient and sustainable communities. To unite development, education, and research that boldly pushes the frontiers of knowledge and the role universities play in transforming local communities and the lives of individuals.

Our Strategy

Acknowledge interdependency and create long-term partnerships among local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, private corporations, universities, and invested individuals to address local challenges and respond to emerging opportunities in economic development, food security, public health, education, and community empowerment.

Our Goal

Promote resilient communities in developing countries and create a model for sustainable prosperity.

MSU is uniquely positioned to address issues of hunger and extreme poverty and to be a leader in international development. Its faculty and students have been on the forefront of international research, education, and engagement for over 50 years, working with partners across the nation and around the world.

Originally started as a pioneer land-grant university in 1862, MSU recognized that its students were not only citizens of Michigan but also citizens of the world, and became the first university to establish a global program (International Studies and Programs) at the university level in 1956. Faculty and students at MSU continue to work towards alleviating hunger and poverty around the world, addressing increased pressures on energy, land, and water resources, and promoting resilience, democratization, and connectivity in a global context.

With more than 60 years of engagement with Africa and more than 200 faculty currently working on projects with African partners, Michigan State University has developed a rich reservoir of knowledge and experience on the continent.

Specifically in Tanzania, MSU researchers have been working with partners in the areas of food security, climate change, water quantity and quality, human and animal health, education and community capacity building. The Tanzania Partnership Program (TPP) is the first initiative of PSCD. Tanzania was selected as the initial location for PSCD based on need, potential for success, Michigan State University's experience in the region, and an array of interested partners. In 2008, two communities where identified to be TPP pilot sites—Milola in the south and Naitolia in the north.