Prof. Eli Katunguka-Rwakishaya, the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University has said the university is talking with Kampala International University (KIU) and Bushenyi Technical College to partner in training Engineers. The Vice-Chancellor said these institutions have the best engineering equipment in this country, which equipment is being underutilized because of few students. He said Kyambogo University engineering students from the Bushenyi Learning Center will train using this world-class equipment at these neighbouring institutions. The Professor said this at the Bushenyi Learning center on February 2, 2023 while the Council was having its meeting with Top Management at the Center.

The Vice Chancellor observed that the number of students at the center is still small mainly because of COVID and competition from the many neighbouring institutions of higher learning. He emphasized the need to advertise. “We need to address the issue of student numbers, staffing and other needs” he said.

On her part, at the same event, Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, the Chairperson of the University Council said the purpose of creating the learning centers was to take the university to the community. “We started the centers to widen access to quality education. Although there are over fifty universities in Uganda, the capacity of these universities to take in all the students is very small” she said. She added that Kyambogo University’s niche in Engineering, Education and Special Needs Education and high-quality practical education gives it an edge over other competitors. She appreciated the University for maintaining the same quality of education offered to students both at the main campus and learning centers, adding that the evidence to that is when a student from the Bushenyi Learning Center became the overall best student at the 18th graduation ceremony last year. She appreciated the transformational role these learning centers are doing to communities giving an example of jobs; adding that the center now has over 70 staff, it has also boosted the economic services in terms of secretarial services, accommodation and food that students use, which brings in some money to the community. She emphasized that the center must also make economic sense by being a source for resource mobilization.

She appreciated the center for having enough space; adding that the university can achieve a lot with this space. “We are underutilizing this place; so we need to use the potential of this place. We need to advertise these learning centers. Whichever opportunity we get, including graduation, we need to advertise the centers. If we need the centers to be economically viable, we need to advertise them” she said. She added that the western region is enough to fill center before noting that if we don’t maximize this center, a few years to come it won’t be self-sustaining and therefore it must be a collective effort to fully utilize this center.

 

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