Ultimate University Quiz: Season one finalist narrates how quiz helped him top the university

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In 2023, when Dismas Nuwaine was asked to join his colleagues for the inaugural Ultimate University Quiz, he could have thought it was just another invitation to participate in a battle of the brains.

However, the fruits of his participation in the competition, organised by Vision Group, continued to follow him a year after the competition.

Nuwaine was the best male student at the October 25, 2024, graduation ceremony held at Uganda Christian University main campus in Mukono. He scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.79 out of 5.0. Nuwaine received a Bachelor of Journalism, Media and Communication.

He and three others — Francis Byaruhanga, Davis Asiimwe Mugisha, Nataline Judith Afoyorwoth — represented Uganda Christian University (UCU) in the Ultimate University Quiz Season One, where they emerged second. Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) emerged winners of the finals that were aired on December 15, 2023.

To prepare for the competitions last year, Nuwaine said their coach subjected them to intense research to acquaint themselves with both current affairs and history. He noted that the information he gathered during that research buttressed what he was learning in the different course units and became quite helpful during the exams.

According to Nuwaine, after the quiz, he rarely fell short of examples to illustrate his points during exams, because he could still remember much of what he came across as he did the research for the quiz.

He added that having the opportunity to participate in such a nationwide debate gave him and his colleagues the confidence to share their views in public spaces.

For emerging second last year, Nuwaine, his three colleagues and their coach were each given a cash prize of shillings 500,000 and a laptop.

Students of MUST each walked home with a laptop and shillings one million. UCU was given shillings 15 million worth of equipment, while MUST got shillings 25 million in equipment. This year, both MUST and UCU were knocked out of the competition before the finals.

On Thursday evening, Lira University will tussle it out with Gulu University in the finals of the second season of the quiz competition. The ceremony, which will be broadcast live on all Vision Group TV stations — Bukedde 1 and 2, TV West, Wan Luo and the digital platforms — will start at 6.30pm.

The competition is organised by Vision Group and sponsored by Bank of Uganda, Uganda Communications Commission, Stanbic Bank, Parliament of Uganda, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Harris International.

The winner will take home sh25m worth of equipment, while the four participants and their coach will each receive sh1m and a new laptop. The second-place winner will receive sh15m, with each of the four participants taking a cash prize of sh500,000 and a laptop, while the third-place winner will take sh10m and each participant will receive a cash prize of sh300,000 along with a tablet.

This story was produced in partnership with Uganda Partners