Makerere sets video conferencing facility

EDUCATION | MAKERERE

Makerere University has set up a video conferencing facility to enhance research in environmental issues during the COVID-19 period.

The facility is set up under the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak) Centre under a project implemented between the college of Agriculture and Environmental sciences and college of Business and Management sciences (CoBAMS).

According to Prof.  Edward Bbaale the Director EFD-MAK centre, the facility comes in handy to help in collaborating with researchers from abroad mostly during the COVID-19 period.

"In a situation where air transport is at a standstill, yet we have to collaborate with other researchers across the globe, such a facility is welcome as it will help us unite with our secretariat which unites all centres globally," he said.

He explained that the video conferencing facility came along with a 65inch screen, camera and other accessories including a 30-seater conference table and 20 chairs.

These are in addition to six computers for the core administrative staff, a four seater workstation projector, a printer, scanner and photocopier as well as a water dispenser, file cabinets among other assortments valued at over $29,000.

"We are happy that we now have a fully fledged video conferencing facility with a full board work station. It will help us when exchanging ideas locally when researchers are outside the campus," he stressed.

This he said will help the researchers enjoy working while managing huge data sets since the research they do require strong machines which can handle data.

While unveiling the facility, the Principal CoBAMS Prof. Eria Hisali said the video conferencing facility will help researchers and institutions within and outside Uganda to share updates on activities taking place within the centre especially during this difficult time of COVID-19.

"It will help in implementing restrictions on travels and gatherings since some of the equipments acquired like the computers and the software is what the researchers use to analyses data of the different topics concerning environment.

We want to align the public to the government guideline of having only 30% of the staff accessing the university, "he added.

He said the facility will greatly be used for purposes of capacity building for the university staff through research that is being undertaken through participating in different networks.

He observed that the facility will not only lead to the development of our country but the world as a whole.

He also observed the need for a bigger space where the video conferencing facility can be allocated its own home.

"This video conferencing facility will be used by quite a number of people and the space here will limit the value we can get from accommodating a bigger number, "he stated.

He applauded EfD and Sida for the grant that led to the procurement of the facilities.

"We now have a fully furnished video conferencing facility that is going to help us in exchanging ideas locally and also interact with other researchers globally via zoom and other modern communication channels, "he stated

About the centre

The EfD-Mak is a new Centre at Makerere University established in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2018, under the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD) which is a global network of environmental economics research centre.

It is being sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) to carry on the research work.