General
Prof. Senteza Kajubi eulogized for enormous contribution towards the education sector
![[L -R] Ms. Amy Petersen - Education and Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Kampala; Dr. Ronald Bisaso - Deputy Principal CEES; Mr. Yusuf Kiranda - University Secretary; Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe -Vice Chancellor; H.E William W. Popp - US Ambassador to Uganda; Prof. Anthony Mugagga Muwagga, Principal CEES and Ms. Ellen B. Masi - Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Kampala at the Yusuf Lule Auditorium before the lecture on 7th November 2023.](https://news.mak.ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/4th-Annual-Senteza-Kajubi-Lecture-7thNov2023.jpg)
The United States Ambassador to Uganda His Excellence William W. Popp and Makerere University professors have praised the two-time Vice Chancellor the late Prof. William Senteza Kajubi for his enormous contribution towards the education sector.
This was during the 4th Fulbright memorial lecture held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at Makerere University in memory of a great educationist under the theme: “Uganda’s Higher Education in the Digital Age: Navigating the future through technological advancements”.
According to Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kajubi left a remarkable legacy, which advocated for equal access to quality education and he is described as the father of the education sector.
“We celebrate him, not only as a leader but also a symbol of unity and resilience. His dedication to our nation’s progress and his unwavering commitment to the development of the education system continue to inspire us all,” he said.
The late Prof. Kajubi is remembered for being the father of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) that ensured that all children can have access to education.
Prof. Nawangwe called for togetherness to work towards the future of the country as they celebrate the legacy of the late scholar.
He lauded the U.S for their continued commitment to nurturing change makers through its Fulbright Program which facilitates exchange of knowledge, skills and culture. The late Prof Kajubi is celebrated as one of the first Africans to benefit from the Fulbright program in 1952.
The Fulbright program is an international exchange program that is sponsored by the U.S government and it has fostered mutual understanding between the United States and other countries since 1946.
Prof. Nawangwe noted that since the outbreak of Covid 19, the university has continued to embrace digital technology inform of blended learning. And he said the university’s obligation to conducting research that will alleviate Ugandans from poverty is a sign of giving back to the government of Uganda for the investments done at the University.
“We are looking at what we can do in order to help the country to move forward on this digitization front. What we are going to do is to study the other countries that have gone before us, to know what they are doing, and pave away of how best we can do it without repeating what they did,” he said.
“We are recognized as one of the most proficient and research intensive institutions in Africa. And when it comes to clinical medicine, we compete with the best in the world,” He said.
He asked different stakeholders to utilize the available resources to deliver change in their communities saying, “There are countries that are more advanced in the digital platform than we are but I don’t think that can stop us from doing things that they are doing and going further than they have done. We can use the equipment we have like smartphones and simple computers that we can afford that can do the same work that the complex computers in advanced countries can do.” The Vice Chancellor emphasised.
“We must address challenges of climate change, youth unemployment, good governance, emerging diseases among others”.
His Excellency William Popp acknowledged Makerere’s collaboration with the institutions in the US and applauded the VC for the far he has moved the University to being the one of the leading academic institutions in Africa.
He pledged more support and a good working relationship of the US and Makerere University.
Prof Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies called for the need for teachers to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their teaching and emulate Prof. Ssenteza who did great things in the education terrain for close to 30 years.
“At the start of the year, I asked my colleagues whether robots won’t replace us. But what I know is that a well-trained teacher will never be replaced.” He noted.
He described Prof. Kajubi as a beacon of hope and progress in the field of education. “His unwavering dedication to the betterment of our region, and his indomitable spirit in the face of challenges, serves as an inspiration for all of us in the realm of education”.
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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