As Universal Secondary Education (USE) students graduate from secondary schools, the demand for tertiary education is on the increase. This has lead to many mushrooming tertiary education institutions in Uganda;

As Universal Secondary Education (USE) students graduate from secondary schools, the demand for tertiary education is on the increase. This has lead to many mushrooming tertiary education institutions in Uganda; many of which with questionable quality. In order to increase access to higher and tertiary education to all the deserving Ugandans, Makerere University Faculty of Computing and IT is spearheading initiatives to provide education through Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). This will be independent of time, space and location i.e. we shall provide flexible education.

Discussions with the School of Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire (http://www.herts.ac.uk/home-page.cfm) are already underway; once completed Ugandans will be able to undertake the following online degrees where teaching and assessment will be completely via e-learning:

– B.Sc. (Hons) Computer Science

– BSC (Hons) Information Systems

– M.Sc. Computer Science

– M.Sc. Distributed Data Management

– M.Sc. Distributed Systems and Networks

– M.Sc. e-Learning Technology

– M.Sc. Human Computer Interaction

– M.Sc. Mobile Computing

– M.Sc. Multimedia Technology

– M.Sc. Software Engineering.

In the medium term, the initiative will be extended to cover more degrees.

Under the Pan-African E-Network Project coordinated by the Ministry of ICT of the Republic of Uganda, the national tele-education learning centre set up at Makerere University Faculty of Computing and IT will with effect from 1st August 2009 offer MBA, PGD in IT, Bachelor of IT, and Diploma in IT programmes from Amity University, the leading ICT-based educational provider in India. The application process is ongoing (See attached. For more information contact CIT Front Office or <mailto:info@cit.mak.ac.ug> info@cit.mak.ac.ug or call: 256-414-540628).

The degrees and diplomas will be awarded by Amity University, India. All this is being made possible by the support from the Government of Uganda, the African Union (AU) and the Government of India. Overall, over 100,000 students from the African continent are going to be trained at the 53 learning centres in the 53 AU countries within the next 5 years under the Pan-African E-Network Project worth over US$116 Million.

Makerere University Faculty of Computing and IT shall continue to explore opportunities that will enable the so many Ugandans in need of higher education access quality education through collaborations and partnerships with the best Universities in the world by exploiting the power of ICT. The broadband network as a result of the completion of the submarine cables on the East African coast coupled with the ICT national backbone being put in place by the Ministry of ICT is going to enable students to access higher education online from any part of the country.

ICT is narrowing the education divide; it is also flattening the world and in the near future all students across the globe will be able to access quality education that is collaborative in nature; independent of time, space and distance. Skilled labour and technological innovations are major conditions for economic growth. Thus it is important to enable the majority of Ugandans to access quality higher education as this will spur economic growth and lead to human development.