MUBS, Lira University sign MOU to enhance collaboration

 

According to the MOU, the two universities will majorly collaborate in research, organisation of conferences and workshops, exchange of students, the establishment of new programs, and the exchange of information and publications.

 

The Deputy Principal MUBS, Prof. Moses Muhwezi said with immediate effect, MUBS will sponsor lecturers of Lira University to go for Masters and Ph.D. programs as a way of building their capacity to offer the best education to their students.

 

"Both of us will identify projects by different organs relevant to developing countries especially Africa and write join proposals for funding. Both institutions will strengthen their research teams so that the research activities are conducted in an organised manner," Muhwezi said.

 

Speaking during the signing of the MOU, Muhwezi emphasized that during the five year period of the MOU, both universities will participate in workshops and other academic meetings in an effort to promote academic growth and development.

 

"In addition to that, the collaborating institutions shall upon agreement accept exchange of students on a reciprocal basis and will also offer waivers for students on the exchange program," he added.

 

The two institutions will also negotiate financial arrangements for specific projects under the five year period with the possibility of renewal after making a general assessment.

 

 Prof. Ogwal, the deputy vice-chancellor Lira University and  on the extreme left is deputy principal MUBS Prof. Muhwezi and Francis Yosa, MUBS secretary to the council in Yellow signing the MOU 

Prof. Jasper Ogwal, the vice-chancellor of Lira University said developmental issues in Northern Uganda are quite different from the ones in Kampala.

 

"We want to demonstrate that everything is possible in this country when you put your minds together," he said

 

Ogwal explained that lira university which started as a constituent college of Gulu University before its independency, transformed into an autonomous university with a philosophy of respecting local institutions.

 

"We should believe in ourselves because we have a lot of resources within, instead of going out for other cultures. We have existed for a short time and we are currently running three faculties including the faculty of management sciences, faculty of health sciences and the faculty for education," he said.   

 

Ogwal said, "The vehicle for driving economic development is business and management education. Everything we are doing needs business and management science but if the science we talk about is not managed well, the country cannot develop."

 

Dr. Ogwal wondered why people still yearn to do sciences without seeking for its management.

 

"If you produce and fail to get the skills of marketing what you have produced, it means you cannot develop. The president has always emphasized four pillars of development including business management," he said.

 

He explained that as much as Lira University is still very small, but once the partnership grows, it will become a second hub of business and management training in this country.