Knowledge and Skills for Service
Projects and Innovations
International: Launch of the first research project within the Africa-UniNet
In March, the first study of the Medical University of Graz within the new Austrian-African research network Africa-UniNet started. Coordinated by Nandu Goswami from the Division of Physiology, the efficacy of COVID-19 surveillance applications in Uganda, e.g. digital contact tracing, will be investigated. In cooperation with Robert Buwule from the Kyambogo University in Kampala it will be elucidated, which different information communication technologies (ICT) are implemented and how effectively these are integrated and used by the general public. Interviews with task force members at national, sub-county and village levels guarantee a strong insight in the COVID-management in Uganda and provide transfer of knowledge of applied technologies to fight pandemics like COVID-19. The aim of this Africa-UniNet project is, beside strengthening the research cooperation between Medical University of Graz and sub-Saharan Africa, to state differences in implemented COVID-19 ICTs. In addition, there shall be an ideal framework for future pandemics or other possible healthcare challenges enabled to optimise the implementation of ICTs in Sub-Saharan African countries like Uganda. The current project builds upon the EndoCOVID project, coordinated by Nandu Goswami, that is currently ongoing in Sub-Saharan Africa.
About the AHEAD Project
The AHEAD project (African Higher Education Leadership in Advancing Inclusive Innovation for Development) is a three-year Capacity Building project, started on October 15, 2017 and ending on October 14, 2020. The consortium consists of 4 universities from Europe (Romania, Poland, UK, Italy), a consultancy company from Bulgaria, 5 universities from Kenya, 2 universities from Tanzania and 3 universities from Uganda. In Uganda, the participating Universities are Kyambogo University, Lira University and Makerere University.
The project seeks to build capacities of staff in the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan universities’ to lead and manage innovation that best fits their countries’ inclusive and sustainable development needs.
Business Incubation Center – BIC
The University through ADB established a business Incubation center (KYU-BIC) to promote innovations and research and also to equip students with relevant skills suitable for the industrial work, entrepreneurship preparedness and Job market competition.
This NORHED (Norwegian) supported programme is being implemented in collaboration with the University of Oslo- Norway, University of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania and Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE). The main activities are;
- Human resource development at PhD and Masters level education
- Development of web-page on Sensory impairments (Visual, Hearing, and Deafblind)
- Research in sensory impairments through Postdoctoral scholarships
Technology can increase access to education for children with disabilities – Higher Education and Multimedia in Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation
Visio project
The Royal Dutch (Netherlands) government through its centre for the blind and partially sighted (Visio) is working with the Faculty to screen, assess and rehabilitate students in ten secondary schools identified as having low vision. This programme involves the Ministry of Health (Eye Rehabilitation department) Ministry of Education (Special Needs and Inclusive Education) and Regional Eye Hospitals where the schools are located.
Teacher Education Development for Inclusive Education
This is a programme being implemented in collaboration with Sight savers Uganda Country Office, Ministry of Education and Sports (departments of Teacher Instructor, Education and Training as well as Special Needs and Inclusive Education), National Union of Disabled People of Uganda (NUDIPU) and Uganda Society for Disabled Children (USDC). It is meant to;
- Train tutors from all government and private Primary Teachers Colleges to develop skills to implement the special needs education component in the PTC curriculum. The intention is to pass out teachers with an inclusive orientation to support all children in their classes.
- Advocate for an inclusive policy and a provision that takes into consideration the needs of persons with disabilities.
PAGEL – Speech and Language Therapy Interventions
The Faculty is collaborating with the Leibniz University in Hannover (Germany), Kenyatta University (Kenya) and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (Tanzania) to implement a speech and language therapy intervention for babies, young children, adults and seniors (elders). The first phase of the programme has been on human resource development for a sustainable speech and Language Therapy support in a form that is cost-effective for the country
INNOVATIONS
Our staff and students have also created some stunning innovations in science and technology as listed below.