Gervas M. Machimu is an Associate Professor at Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU), teaching courses on rural development. Machimu holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Rural Development (Dec. 2012 to Nov. 2016); a Master’s Degree in Rural Development (2005 to 2007) from the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania; a Postgraduate Diploma in Poverty Analysis (May 2010 to June 2011) from Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands; and a Bachelor of Philosophy (2000 to 2004) from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. His areas of expertise are contract farming, rural development, gender, and co-operative governance.

Prof. Machimu has worked on several consulting assignments and community service projects with national and international organizations such as the Tanzania Federation of Co-operatives (TFC), primary cooperative societies in Tanzania; International Co-operative Alliance-Africa (ICA-Africa), The African Confederation of Co-operative Savings and Credit Association (ACCOSCA); Pact Tanzania; ActionAid Tanzania; TGNP Mtandao – Tanzania; Ariel Glaser Pediatric AIDS Healthcare Initiative (AGPAHI). Prof. Machimu, from 2019 to date, has served as the Chairperson of the Boards of Kilimanjaro Co-operative Bank Limited (KCBL) and Wazalendo SACCOS Limited. From 2019 to 2021, he was Chairperson of the Saving and Credit Union League of Tanzania 1992 Limited (SCCULT 1992 Ltd). In addition, from May 2012 to December 2020, he served as Dean of Students. From January 2021 to the present, he has served as the Director of – the Institute of Continuing Co-operative Education at MoCU.