General
Vice Chancellor Flags Off Aid Bududa Community Relief Items
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on the morning of Friday, 2nd November 2018 flagged off an assortment of relief items under the Aid Bududa Community (ABC) initiative to Bududa District. Launched on 15th October 2018, the ABC is spearheaded by the Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA) and will be carried out in two phases; the Benevolent Phase 1 and Scientific Phase 2.
“We thank the Management, entire Makerere University Community and our friends for supporting Phase 1 of the initiative. We particularly thank our sister associations MASA (Makerere University Academic Staff Association), NUEI (National Union of Educational Institutions of Uganda-Makerere University Branch), the Chaplaincies and the University Mosque who tirelessly worked with us to achieve this objective,” remarked MUASA Chairperson Dr. Deus Kamunyu Muhwezi at the flag off ceremony.
According to Dr. Kamunyu, items collected under Benevolent Phase 1 of the ABC initiative included;
- Approximately 180 bales of clothes
- 5 bales of blankets
- 5 sacks of shoes
- 2,000kilogrammes of maize floor
- 1,000kilogrammes of beans
- 5,040 Not-For-Sale 96page exercise books
- 4,000 Nice Clear pens
- 3,500 pencils and
- An assortment of domestic items
The items will be delivered to Bududa District by a delegation comprising MUASA Executive and Members of Staff, Student leaders, as well as members of the student community.
Under the Scientific Phase 2, MUASA will work with the Makerere University Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovation (MUCCRI) to restore a plot of land using the landscape approach, so that communities exposed to similar environmental risks elsewhere can adopt the same preventive techniques. A team of Sociologists, Anthropologists, Mountain Hydrologists, Foresters, Environmentalists, Public Health Experts, Educationists, IT Specialists and a host of other experts from Makerere University and beyond will take part in Phase 2.
In his remarks, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked the MUASA Chairperson, his Executive as well as the Makerere University Community including the student body for responding generously to the landslide disaster in Bududa especially through a phased approach.
“Makerere University is easily the biggest brand name in the Country and it is within our social responsibility that we are seen to be strategically responding to disaster. I believe that what we have been able to do through the ABC initiative will go a long way to help victims of the Bududa landslides” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe particularly commended the innovative branded stationery, which he said would bring hope to landslide victims and take their mind off the disaster. He also commended MUASA for thinking about Phase 2, which will more importantly enable Makerere University to work with the Bududa community to change the way they live.
“Phase 2 of the ABC initiative will help our communities to view Makerere University in a different light. As experts in different fields, we have the responsibility to not only lend a helping hand but also give guidance to communities on how they can live better, especially if there is suffering,” said Prof. Nawangwe.
“I am equally happy to see our students here, smartly dressed in their undergraduate gowns. On behalf of the University Council and Management, I thank you MUASA for spearheading this initiative and it is now my pleasure to flag off this consignment of relief items to Bududa” concluded the Vice Chancellor.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Makerere University and Xiangtan University Advance Strategic Partnership in Chemical Engineering
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
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