General
Students Disciplinary Committee gets new Chairperson
Mr. Isaac Newton Kyagaba has been sworn-in as the new Chairperson of Makerere University Students Disciplinary Committee.
Accepting the appointment, Mr. Kyagaba thanked Members of Management and the Student Guild for sparing time out of their respective schedules to attend the ceremony. He expressed readiness to abide by the oath he had taken and maintain to confidentiality of all information that he will receive by virtue of his office.
“I personally believe in three guiding principles that I use in the different capacities or boards where I sit” shared Mr. Kyagaba “and these are communication, systems and transparency,” he added.
Mr. Kyagaba noted that in order for these three to be achieved, there must be discipline. “If you can effectively communicate, you can stop a war or dispute from actually happening.” He further explained that systems indicate a known manner in which things are done and procedures are followed. Observance of these by the committee on one hand and students on the other, he noted, would greatly reduce incidences that necessitate hearings.
The Commissioner of Oaths, Hajji Farouk Kamulegeya presided over the swearing-in-ceremony held on Friday 18th March 2022 in the Makerere University Council Room.
Section 5 (a) of the University Students Disciplinary Committee stipulates that the Committee shall be composed of members appointed by the University Council.
Following the swearing-in of the Chairperson, the Committee is now fully constituted. It consists of the following personalities:
Mr. Isaac Newton Kyagaba – Chairperson
Dr. Godfrey Akileng – Member
Dr. Sylvia A. Nannyonga-Tamusuza – Member
Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe – Member
Hon. Beatrice Kiraso – Member
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe congratulated Mr. Kyagaba on his appointment and thanked him for accepting to take on the responsibility of chairing the Committee and thanked Hajji Kamulegeya for administering the oath.
Prof. Nawangwe reiterated the importance of discipline and its correlation to development. “There is no way we can progress when there is indiscipline all around us. The countries that are advanced have had to instill discipline in different ways; the communists did it differently and the capitalists did it differently but they had to instill discipline in their societies.”
He therefore congratulated the members of the Committee upon their appointment and acceptance to serve Makerere University in this capacity and encouraged them to dispense justice without fear or favour.
“Makerere should become a university where people are thinking about how to move this country and this continent forward” concluded the Vice Chancellor.
The University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, who is also the Secretary to the University Council noted that the top governing body had executed its mandate by appointing the Committee as stipulated in Section 5 of the Makerere University Students Regulations.
“All societies that have been able to transform and develop are those where citizens have followed the rule of law. Rules apply everywhere, whether in how we interact with each other, how we conduct business, or how we manage public resources and facilities bestowed in our care. And when we break the rules without sanction, we create a perverse incentive which motivates other people to also act in their self-interest” remarked Mr. Kiranda.
He therefore hoped that with the Student Disciplinary Committee in place, meetings would be convened more for the purposes of counseling, guiding and advising the students than handling cases of indiscipline.
The Vice Guild President H.E. Nelson Ssewanyana and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Mr. Bbosa Henry Price represented the student’s leadership at the ceremony. The following University officials also witnessed the Swearing-in-Ceremony: Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, Dean of Students Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli and Legal Officers namely Ms. Phiona Natukunda, Mr. Gonzaga Mbalangu and Ms. Naome Kiconco.
According to Section 5 (c), the terms of reference of the University Students Disciplinary Committee include:
- To handle disciplinary cases directly brought to it;
- To handle cases referred to it by Hall Disciplinary Committee;
- To handle appeals from parties dissatisfied with the ruling by the Hall Disciplinary Committee; and
- Any other functions assigned by Council.
Written by: Ritah Namisango, Mak 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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