Prime
Local universities urged to embrace international collaborations
The Assistant Commissioner (Public Universities), in the university education and training department at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Timothy Musoke Ssejjoba (second from right) shakes hands with Abdi Nur Sheikh Ahmed, the Chancellor of Soma-Ville University based in Somalia at the signing of the MOU. PHOTOS/ ROLAND NASASIRA
What you need to know:
- On his part, Abdi Nur Sheikh Ahmed, the Chancellor of Soma-Ville University based in Somalia observed that the agreement will enhance the development of Somali community in Uganda to supplement the already existing good relations between the two countries.
The Assistant Commissioner (Public Universities), in the ministry of education and sports, Timothy Musoke Ssejjoba has urged local universities and institutions of higher learning to embrace cooperation and memorandums of understanding with international universities to open doors of opportunities to Uganda.
Mr Sssejjoba made the call on Wednesday at ISBAT University in Kololo while witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Soma-Ville University based in Somalia and ISBAT University in Uganda.
“When we see such levels of cooperation between institutions in different countries, it means the relationship between Somalia and Uganda is being cemented further. When people work together, governments can change but the relationship cannot go away because it goes beyond personalities,” Mr Ssejjoba said.
“We welcome this cooperation between the two institutions and look forward to more. It’s not only institutions in Uganda that have knowledge to share with institutions in Somalia but there is knowledge that institutions in Somalia can share with those in Uganda. Institutions are already reviewing what they are teaching to ensure that it is relevant to the job market across the continent. Training at university level may not necessarily be for Uganda. It’s for the region, Africa and the world. This cooperation opens up opportunities to people to move to the rest of the region,” he added.
On his part, the Chairman, Board of Directors of ISBAT University, Varghese Mundamattam said some of the issues that most developing countries such as Somalia and Uganda face is unemployment. Uganda has over 75 percent of the population being youth below the age of 30, who, if not effectively trained and used for the development of the country, may divert attention to unlawful activities.
“When we talk about unemployment, most times it’s not because there’s no education but there’s no effective education. When graduates leave institutions, they look for jobs and get into other activities. When we established this university, we decided that we go by implementing science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs. This means they find jobs because we focus on the objectives of the forth industrial revolution and the national development plan of Uganda. The development plans are also in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals,” Mr Mundamattam said.
“Collaborations and associations are the way forward for education institutions to produce meaningful graduates who will be productive and developmental for their respective countries. Over 95 percent of our graduates are already placed when they complete school. This collaboration means we want to take education to most African countries. It is a revolutionary platform to transform education and to reach education to all masses, equitably and inclusively,” he noted.
On his part, Abdi Nur Sheikh Ahmed, the Chancellor of Soma-Ville University based in Somalia observed that the agreement will enhance the development of Somali community in Uganda to supplement the already existing good relations between the two countries.
“When our students come to Uganda and acquire knowledge, it will be developmental to Somalia because graduates will create employment opportunities back home. The agreement will also extend to East Africa and other countries because it involves conducting joint research, learning resources and curriculum updates that’s important for developing countries,” Mr Ahmed said.
The memorandum of understanding between the two universities is the first of its kind and will run for as long as the two institutions exist.
