General

Vice President of the China University of Petroleum at Qingdao visits Makerere

Published

3 years ago

April 24, 2018

(L-R)Vice President of China University of Petroleum - Prof. Liu Huadong, Vice Chancellor - Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and Principal of College of Natural Sciences- Prof. Joseph Mugisha

On 19th April 2018, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe hosted the Vice President of China University of Petroleum, Qingdao (UPC) – Prof. Liu Huadong on a visit to Makerere University. Prof. Huadong was accompanied by the Director – International Training Department Ms. Ying Zhou and Dr. Hu Yigui, Vice President of the College of Continuing Education. Prof. Huadong expressed his excitement to visit Uganda and Makerere; this was his first visit to both places. A meeting was held to discuss the partnership between Makerere University and UPC.

The meeting was also attended by the Principal of the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) Prof. Joseph Mugisha, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Masagazi Masaazi, members of Makerere University Management, Staff from CoNAS, officials from Sunmaker Energy Uganda Limited, the Mak Public Relations team and journalists from New Vision and Daily Monitor.

Prof. Nawangwe led a Makerere University delegation on a visit to UPC in December 2017. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the two institutions. The MOU seeks to leverage expertise at UPC to establish an Institute/School of Petroleum Geosciences/Engineering at Makerere. This fits with the appointment of Makerere University as the Centre of Excellence for petroleum and minerals by the Northern Corridor States. UPC and Makerere also agreed to jointly apply for funding from international funding agencies to support establishment of state of the art petroleum engineering labs at UPC and Makerere. Makerere and UPC will also collaborate through student and staff exchange programmes.

In his remarks, the Vice President of UPC said, ‘our visit here is due to the hospitality of your delegation to our University in December 2017. We return your visit and hope to build our partnership’. It is a privilege for us to start this partnership because of the repetition of Makerere University as one of the oldest academic institutions in Africa but also famous for its research work, he further noted. Prof. Huadong explained that the discussions held by the Makerere delegation with the departments at UPC were very extensive and hence UPC’s good feeling about the partnership between the two institutions. UPC and Makerere will start with staff and student exchanges and develop the partnership further.

The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University welcomed the Vice President of UPC and his delegation to Makerere University. He thanked him for the hospitality of UPC when they visited in December 2017. It should be noted that Makerere is the first African University that UPC signed a MoU with; this was made possible by officials from Sunmaker Energy Uganda Limited. Sunmaker established a training centre in Bugolobi, Kampala to skill technicians and other lower cadre staff employable in the oil and gas sector; it’s the first centre of its kind in East Africa.

Prof. Nawangwe said, ‘it is our belief that staff from UPC will be comfortable working with staff of Makerere University that are highly qualified in their areas of specialisation. 60% of the academic staff at Makerere have completed their PhDs and others are already registered’. The research output of Makerere has been ranked second on the African Continent and we are favourably place on the Times index, Prof. Nawangwe noted. He also reiterated that while Sunmaker is training the lower cadre staff for the oil and gas sector; Makerere University is well placed to train the managers; this can further be enhanced by the partnership with UPC. The oil and gas sector is a key one for Uganda and the region; the new relationship of our institutions therefore has an important role for the development of the sector, he further said.

Prof. Mugisha, the Principal of CoNAS and member of the delegation to UPC in December 2017 thanked UPC for choosing to work with Makerere University. ‘As a direct beneficiary of the MoU between our institutions, CoNAS is very excited and looks forward to the growth of the partnership. We were impressed by the laboratories, manufacturing of machinery for oil and gas industry we saw at UPC. It is our expectation that some of our staff can be trained at UPC for further enhancement of their skills’, Prof. Mugisha noted. He further said that, ‘your support in establishing a Petroleum Institute at CoNAS will be appreciated’.

Prof. Masaazi, the Principal of CEES voiced his interest to discuss with UPC regarding support of distance learning at Makerere University. After the meeting, the UPC delegation toured facilities at the College of Natural Sciences.

UPC is a comprehensive university established in 1953. It was recognised and set as a Chinese centre of excellence for oil and gas by the China Ministry of Education and corporations (China National Petroleum Corporation-CNPC, China Petrochemical Corporation-SINOPEC, China National Offshore Oil Corporation-CNOOC, and China National Chemical Corporation-ChemChina). The university is regarded as the cradle of talents in Petroleum in China committed to specialist training in the petroleum and petrochemical industries.

General

Veteran Professor changed Makerere and Higher Education

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Professor Pancras John Mukasa Ssebuwufu (L) receives a plaque and citation from RUFORUM Board Member and Vice Chancellor Ndejje University-Professor Eriabu Lugujjo (Right) on 6th May 2021 at the RUFORUM Secretariat, Plot 155 Garden Hill, Makerere University Main Campus,

When Professor John Ssebuwufu ambled up to receive a certificate of recognition for his ‘exceptional’ contribution to higher education from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) at Makerere University (MU), he was thinking of many things, such as rewarding staff, that he could have done differently to impact university education more.

But he did what he could have done, under the circumstances.

He presided over MU (in 1993) when student enrolment was 5,000 and left in 2004 when the population was surging to more than 15,000.

He emphasised the use of information communication technologies in almost all the institutions he had been involved in and sent many academic staff on exchanges to boost research and innovation. Now, more African universities engage in ground-breaking research.

So, he proceeded to accept his recognition and make his acceptance speech, which was mostly about gratitude.

Ssebuwufu, 74, who is currently the chancellor at Kyambogo University and the vice-chancellor of the University of Kisubi, is credited for his exemplary leadership and pragmatic methods that have shaped higher education in Uganda and Africa as a whole.

General

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022

Published

1 day ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022. Photo credit: AfDB

The Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program is a capacity building project by the AfDB and Japan which was initiated in 2017 with the aim of providing two-year scholarship awards to highly achieving African graduate students to enable them to undergo post-graduate studies (i.e. a two-year Master’s degree program) in selected priority development areas on the continent and Japan. The overarching goal the AfDB and the Government of Japan seek to attain is to enhance skills and human resources development in Africa in under the Bank’s High 5s agenda (i.e. “Feed Africa”, “Light up Africa”, “Industrialize Africa”, “Integrate Africa” and “Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa”) and key Japanese development assistance initiatives. JADS core areas of study focus include energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability, and engineering. The program also seeks to promote inter-university collaboration and university-industry partnerships between Japan and Africa. Upon completion of their studies, the JADS scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills in the public and private sectors, and contribute to national and continental socio-economic development.

About the JADS program

The JADS Program is open to applicants from AfDB member countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a graduate degree program in energy development and related discipline. The program does not provide scholarships to any other graduate degree program.

The scholarship program provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.

Upon completion of their studies, the beneficiary scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills, and contribute to the promotion of sustainable development of their countries.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

The program is open to those who have gained admission to an approved Masters degree course at a Japanese partner university. Candidates should be 35 years old or younger; in good health; with a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the energy area or related area; and have a superior academic record. Upon completion of their study programs, scholars are expected to return to their home country to contribute to its economic and social development.

Application Procedures

Applicant requests for information and application forms and procedures from the chosen JADS partner university. For any inquiries, please contact JADS@AFDB.ORG
Applicant completes required documents and sends them to the university.
University evaluates and selects applicants.
University sends selected candidates to the AfDB.
AfDB reviews submissions from universities, prepares and approves the final list.
AfDB contacts selected awardees, and informs the universities.