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Minister Monica Musenero Unveils Locally-made Diesel Engine

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It was a show of innovations geared towards mechanisation of farming processes as the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovations, Dr. Monica Musenero, launched locally made engines today August 19, 2021.

A team of researchers from the African Centre of Excellence for Material science and nanotechnology (MAPRONANO) partnered with artisans from Kevoton Engineering, to design and assemble a diesel engine, the first of its kind in Uganda.

It is a single cylinder 4 stroke engine  with 13 horse power and consumes 1 litre of fuel per hour. The engine is a water-cooled and therefore does not heat up.

The engines are able to run a generator and a water pump to facilitate irrigation on farms. The generator, is single phase and can therefore be used to power home appliances and small workshops.

According to Mr. Mubiru Rogers of Kevoton Engineering, work on the engines started in 2017, but they were not able to make much progress until 2019 when they partnered with MAPRONANO ACE. The centre of excellence was then able provide training and technical advice, designing and student attachments to the project.

The Minister commended the MAPRONANO team, led by Prof. John Baptist Kirabira, for various innovations that the team in churning out, which included a sanitizer made in Makerere, solar panel slasher, and a mini tractor. 

Dr. Musenero challenged researchers to have a mindset change and also change the pedagogy to reposition theory to practical works. “We need to teach the students knowing that they are going to design and develop an engine or a brake system,” Dr. Musenero emphasised.  She encouraged innovators to ensure their products do not stay on the selves, saying the biggest role of science and innovation is economical.  The Minister said, for this reason, PRESIDE which she chairs focused on equipping laboratories in universities so as ensure that scientists receive the facilitation that they require. “Research is like a river which needs an outflow and the Ministry is here to provide that outflow,” she said.

She advised the university to prioritise certain areas of research when it comes to grants instead of awarding small grants to different projects which only end up being a drop in the ocean. Dr. Musenero thanked the President for his continued support and belief in science and technology.

The minister advised that the prototypes be refined so that they are genderised to allow women to be able to operate the generator and water pump.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, called on the minister to support the introduction of an innovation park in Makerere University, saying the park would be able to spinoff companies. Giving an example of Instabul University, the Vice Chancellor said the university has been able to produce 300 companies over the last one year, saying Makerere University should be supported to do the same.  

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Makerere signs MoU with EACOP Ltd.

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Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (Right) and Martin Tiffen (Left) shake hands after the signing of the MoU on 16th July 2024. Makerere University signs MoU with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd to create a platform for finalist and recently graduated students to undertake internships and industrial training, 16th July 2024, Council Room, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, Kampala Uganda.

Makerere University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd to create a platform for finalist and recently graduated students to undertake internships and industrial training with EACOP.  The pact provides a framework that will guide the collaboration between the two entities.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe signed on behalf of Makerere University while Martin Tiffen, the MD signed on behalf of EACOP at a ceremony held at Makerere University on Tuesday 16th July 2024.  The MoU details the two main areas of collaboration in capacity building including internships or graduate training and the trainer of trainers.

In his remarks, Prof. Nawangwe commended the initiative which he said will benefit several students from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) and the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) where programs related to the oil and gas industry are offered. He noted that oil and gas was still a young industry in Uganda and therefore the collaboration was timely.

Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Principal of CEDAT made remarks. Makerere University signs MoU with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd to create a platform for finalist and recently graduated students to undertake internships and industrial training, 16th July 2024, Council Room, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, Kampala Uganda.
Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Principal of CEDAT made remarks.

Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Principal CEDAT said the college was ready to collaborate with EACOP based on the fact that it is home to several programs in addition to the traditional engineering courses offered. He said all professionals have something to input into the oil pipeline and therefore the college was ready to offer the necessary support in ensuring that the MoU is actualized.

Dr. Peter Olupot, the Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department who spoke on behalf of the Dean School of Engineering said the school offers a range of programs relevant to the oil and gas industry in addition to the petroleum and geoscience subjects offered in the College of Natural Sciences. He said the School of Engineering was moving towards problem-based learning and competence-based assessment and therefore values the industry-academia relationships which will further the ongoing efforts towards producing graduates relevant to the industry.

Dr. Peter Olupot, HoD Mechanical Engineering Department spoke on behalf of the Dean School of Engineering. Makerere University signs MoU with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd to create a platform for finalist and recently graduated students to undertake internships and industrial training, 16th July 2024, Council Room, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, Kampala Uganda.
Dr. Peter Olupot, HoD Mechanical Engineering Department spoke on behalf of the Dean School of Engineering.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd. is a project company set up to develop, build, and operate a pipeline system that will transport crude oil from the inlet flange at Kabaale in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.

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A team of staff of Northeastern University paid a courtesy call on the Principal of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT)

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A team of staff of Northeastern University comprised of J.J. Kappa, Khalid I. Koddi, and Swaby Meisha paid a courtesy call on the Principal of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) while on a mission to lay strategies for the forthcoming study abroad program.

Over twenty students from Northeastern University will next summer come to the Margret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Art for a period of three weeks. While here, students will take on two courses identified by the faculty, engage with the local community to get the cultural experience and visit the cultural sites such as the museum and Nagenda International Academy of Art and Design (NIAD) among other areas.

While receiving the team, the Principal, Prof. Moses Musinguzi gave a brief background to the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) as one of the ten Colleges making up Makerere University, as well as MTSIFA as one of the Schools making up the College.

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The School of Engineering vouches for Competence Based Learning and Green skilling for better graduates

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The School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) in a bid to improve the teaching and learning of engineering students convened a stakeholder engagement to discuss green skilling and competence-based assessment framework in engineering programs at Makerere University.

The discourse was held on Wednesday 26th June 2024 at the CEDAT conference hall attracting the participation of academia, the industry, and other key stakeholders pertinent to the promotion of quality teaching and learning like the National Curriculum Development Centre and the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), with the main purpose of inputting into the ongoing efforts by the School of Engineering to improve the quality of graduates produced

Assoc. Prof. Dorothy Okello, the Dean School of Engineering, in her welcome remarks, said the discourse was one of the strategies laid out to facilitate the process of improving the quality of graduates that the college was sending out to the world of work.  She said with support from the UNESCO China Funds in Trust in 2013, the School of Engineering published reports on Labor Market Analysis and a Tracer study for engineering graduates that highlighted the employment status of the graduates which established where and whether they were employed or not or had left the profession.  She said the studies also evaluated the situation at the college to assess the internal readiness in training the graduates.

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