General
Mak-CAU Discuss Agricultural & Rural Transformation Collaboration
A delegation from China Agricultural University (CAU) led by the President Prof. Sin Qixin on Friday 24th November 2023 visited Makerere University as part of CAU’s mission to broaden international relations. The delegation was received by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Henry Alinaitwe and members of Management.
Prof. Alinaitwe welcomed and thanked Prof. Qixin and his delegation for fulfilling their promise to visit Makerere when the parties met at the 2023 World Agrifood Innovation Conference held in Beijing, from 2nd to 4th November, 2023. He acknowledged that Uganda had a lot to learn from China in terms of advancements in agriculture as showcased at the Conference, and welcomed the visit as an opportunity to work on a framework for close collaboration.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor noted that Uganda despite being well-endowed in terms of wonderful weather, arable land and a hospitable population still faced challenges related to food security, climate change and sustainability. He therefore hoped that the collaboration with CAU would help transfer some of the technology and best practices to overcome these challenges.
Prof. Qixin on behalf of his delegation thanked Prof. Alinaitwe and members of Management for the warm reception accorded them. He was accompanied by Ms. Tang Ying-Director International Office, Mr. Li Xiaoyun-Chair Professor, Honorary Dean, College of International Development and Global Agriculture (CIDGA), Mr. Si Wei-Professor, Dean College of Economics and Management, Ms. Tang Lixia-Professor, Deputy Dean CIDGA, and Ms. Xu Jin-Associate Professor, Assistant Dean, CIDGA.
The President shared that CAU as a 118-year-old institution located in Beijing, China with approximately 23,000 students has over the years built expertise and capacity in the transformation of agricultural and rural communities. In this regard, he said that CIDGA, CAU’s newest college established in 2017, aims at policy and theoretical innovations in international development and nurturing new development knowledge particularly in the areas of agricultural and rural transformation, poverty eradication and green development.
The aforementioned focal areas, Prof. Qixin said, were the main reason why his delegation was in Uganda on a two-fold mission to; a) build formal close working relationships at University and College levels and b) forge partnerships with institutions to serve as local partners so as to interface with village-based and Local Government leaders in CAU’s agricultural and rural transformation projects. The collaboration with Makerere, he added, could also be in the form of research exchanges and co-organization of activities such as the Agrifood Innovation Conference. The 2023 edition of the conference attracted over fifteen million visitors online in addition to physical participants.
The presentation by Prof. Qixin was followed by discussions with Members of Management present. They included the Academic Registrar-Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Dean of Students-Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli, University Librarian-Prof. Ruth Nalumaga, Director Quality Assurance-Dr. Cyprian Misinde, Director Legal Affairs-Mr. Hudson Musoke, and Director Gender Mainstreaming represented by Mr. Paul Kiggundu. Principals present included; Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga-College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Prof. Eria Hisali-College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. James Okwe Acai-Deputy Principal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), and Prof. Arthur K. Tugume-Dean School of Biosciences representing the Principal College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS).
Topics touched on included;
Scholarships – CAU support covers tuition, research costs, stipend, and accommodation for Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral students. Scholarships however do not cover travel to and from China.
Duration of Programmes – Masters programmes range from two to three years while PhDs range from three to four years.
Language of Instruction – CAU programmes are conducted in English although students are encouraged to learn Chinese.
Ongoing research focused on Africa – CAU researchers are currently working in Tanzania and Malawi on topics such as malnutrition and food security, and the institution is keen to explore joint research with Makerere.
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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