Makerere University signed a three year Memorandum of Understanding with Total E&P Uganda on 15th May 2012, to collaborate in the area of promoting education and development. Makerere as an academic institution has technical and scientific knowledge in a variety of fields. Total E & P Uganda is engaged in the exploration and development of petroleum resources in Uganda.

The collaboration will see students benefit from internships at the company offices, scholarship programs for four graduates from Civil and Electrical Engineering at the French Institute of petroleum, starting September 2012. Two university students will also participate in discussions and forums on energy business issues at the Total Summer School in Paris. There will also be education and energy seminars for university professors specializing in sciences related to energy business or economics.

At the same function, Makerere also signed an MoU with Total Professeurs Associes (TPA), a not – for –profit association offering courses covering all aspects of the oil industry. TPA aims at building bridges between the oil industry, major universities and governmental institutions.

The General Manager of Total E & P Uganda, Loic Laurandel described the ceremony as a milestone in the realization of better education for students in the petroleum field.

“We hope these MoUs will pave way for young people from all backgrounds to study and apply their talents in the oil industry. At Total, we believe in the importance of creating partnerships with the education institutions in our host country as a key to development of local talent and their integration into our business. The MoU will assist in the planning ahead of the industries human resources requirements and cement our partner network activities,” he said.

The University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba said, “we are happy you have chosen to partner with Makerere especially in the area of capacity building. Makerere has been calling for partnerships with the private sector and it is good that Total Uganda has heeded this call, at a time when government is also looking at strengthening science course units.” He called upon other private companies to partner with Makerere University in the respective disciplines.

Story by Marion Alina, Public Relations Office, Makerere University