General
World Bank ACE II Project Communication Officers undergo Training
Over 20 communication experts working with the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education African Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Project have undergone training in communication to equip them with skills and knowledge to improve the communication function in their respective centers.
The one-week training was held from 18th to 23rd March, 2019 and was officially opened and closed by Deputy Secretary, the Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Prof. Mike Kuria at Hilton Hotel Nairobi.
Prof. Kuria implored participants to utilize the knowledge and skills gained to transform their communication function.
“The success of this workshop will not be rated by what you gain from here, but how you will be able to communicate with the stakeholders and the quality of the communication documents from the centres.
We must shift from measuring the quantity of grades of our graduates to the quality of their work at the workplace. The success of these projects depend on the quality of the communication output in your respective ACEs”, Prof. Kuria said.
The training was organized and funded by the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA) supported by the country ACEs.
The IUCEA Project Communication Officer Ms. Agnes Asiimwe said the objective of the training was to discuss the ACE II project objectives and how to effectively communicate the project results.
Ms. Asiimwe emphasized the need for communication officers to keep all their stakeholders updated on the activities going on in their ACEs using different channels of communication.
She advised every communication officer to ensure that ACE websites are active and regularly updated as a key tool and window into the centers.
“Make sure you post everything, everywhere. Post it on tweeter, Facebook, if there is no major event happening, get something, if not, do a video, a Q and A with PhD students on their research progress and post a 300 words story.
Make the website priority number one. This is a World Bank project ending 2022 and the website is the only way to show what the ACEs are doing”, she added.
The training attracted leading Communication, Public Relations (PR) and ICT experts from the region including the Lead Trainer and Facilitator from Capital One Group Paul Mwirigi Muriungi, Ann Gichuhi and Bernard Khatukhira.
Key topics delivered included, Introduction to Public Relations and Public Relations Strategy; Planning and Managing PR Campaigns; Strategic Communications; Monitoring and Evaluation, in Communication; Digital Communication and Social Media Management; Integrated Marketing and Communication; Corporate Social Responsibility; Internal Communications; Media Relations and Crisis Communications, Written, Photo and Video Content Management.
The World Bank is supporting 24 African Centers of Excellence to meet the demand for skills required for Africa's development in areas such as agriculture, energy, extractive industries, etc while strengthening the innovation capacity of the best African higher education institutions in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and other relevant disciplines.
Countries benefitting from ACE II include; Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia among others.
Makerere University Regional Centre of Excellence in Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) is one of 24 African Centers of Excellence being supported by World Bank to transform graduate education and research in Plant Breeding.
MaRCCI won US$6million to provide effective training, research, and outreach that produce applied knowledge and plant breeders who use the most current approaches to rapidly develop and deploy improved crop varieties that meet stakeholders needs and preferences across the region.
Report compiled by
Jane Anyango
Principal Communication Officer, CAES
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.
-
General2 weeks agoStatement on Concerns Circulating Regarding a Member of Academic Staff
-
General1 week agoTimothy Khabusi: From Barefoot Walks to shaping Uganda’s Eye health Future
-
General2 weeks agoBeyond Map Size: Africa’s Agency Should Not Be Funded by Other People
-
Health1 week agoUganda’s HIV Treatment Gains Bring the Youth Gap into Focus
-
Agriculture & Environment1 week agoMakerere University Welcomes 50 Youth Skilling Program trainees under the Africa Climate Collaborative, Supported by Mastercard Foundation