By Kitts Mabonga
KAMPAL
Excitement has rocked Kansanga based Kampala International University (KIU) when reports has emerged that they had bagged a cool 4 million Euros for health research project funded by the European commission, East African Gazette has learnt
The development has been revealed by the KIU vice chancellor Prof. Dr.Mouhamad Mpezamihigo during an exclusive interview with East African Gazette.
He noted that the grant proposal entitled, ‘Implementation of research/real life assessment of existing interventions in women and children health’ is to be funded by the European Commission, under the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation that has just been won by KIU worth 3,999,989 MEuros.
He pointed out further that in addition to KIU, the other partners on the project include the University of Bergen, Norway, KIU in Tanzania, Makerere University, Lung Institute, University Ashanique De Bukavu and the National Institute for Medical Research Tanzania respectively
‘We submitted more than 300 project proposals for funding and we expect more
wins to come, adding that as part of preparations to deal with the success in the projects, they are undertaking great strides to build their internal capacity through cluster formation along areas of specialization but with a multi-disciplinary approach”, he observed.
He thanked chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Hassan Basajjabalaba with his team of dedicated strategists who are catalyzing this process saying that their wise and great leadership credentials have led to the steady growth of KIU in terms of both infrastructure and personnel thus rendering high education services to the country, East African Community and Africa at large.
Dr. Mpezamihigo revealed that KIU has opened other collaborative fronts in Turkey and
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South Africa with the immediate universities and institutions that are now in partnership with KIU
Includes Acibadem University in Turkey, University of South Africa, University of Western Cape, University of Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria and the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research respectively.
University Vice Chancellors Forum calls for Sharing of Govt Scholarships with private Varsities
Members of the University vice chancellor’s forum [UVCF] have recently voiced their concern to the government by allowing private universities to access students’ scholarship programs.
In a bid to have a fair playground in terms of offering quality competitive higher education opportunities to students, they are demanding the government to expand and cover them as well given the enormous task they undertake of imparting professional skills among the student fraternity, he said.
Prof.Dr. Mpezamihigo said he reminded the government during their 28th graduation ceremony last month at which over 1862 students scooped certificates, diplomas and degrees respectively that they are still waiting for a response.
“We would like to remind the government that the forum members are still awaiting government response about our request for both the expansion of the student loans scholarship scheme as well as to reinstate the same scheme which had been suspended due to lack of funds in the recent past’ noted Mpezamihigo.
“We believe that in the private provision of higher education, we have demonstrated that we can deliver quality training and education and therefore let’s share the government scholarships so that beneficiaries are free to join the University of choice adding that the number of beneficiaries will increase for the good of our country” he said.
During the 25 years celebration of the forum’s existence, members put their request before the state minister for higher education Dr Chrysostom Muyingo who was chief guest at which many lamented how the government was only giving scholarships to a few well to do students and at same time leaving out the brightest but financially challenged.
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The members reportedly called for fairness saying it was critical that all share the higher education national cake, however Dr. Muyingo has exclusively told this website that the government would reinstate the scheme next financial year once funds permit, however they are currently covering tuition for the continuing students.
Back ground of KIU
Kampala International University was established in Uganda in 2001 offering a wide range of degree programs in science, engineering, business, and humanities.
The university operates on a multi-campus system, with its main campus in Kampala, Western campus located in Ishaka-Bushenyi, and another university in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, with a third being developed in Nairobi, Kenya.
KIU offers a wide variety of courses and programs in five faculties namely biomedical sciences, business and management, clinical medicine and dentistry, education, and science and technology, which are all based on the Western Campus.
In addition to its faculties, the university has seven schools located across the two campuses which include, allied health sciences, engineering and applied sciences, nursing sciences, pharmacy, law, mathematics and computing, and natural and applied sciences.