Livingstone International University: Lighting university education through E-Learning

Established in 2011 with the aim of transforming Africa through quality, Christ-Centered Higher Education, Livingstone International University is focused on realizing the dream by emphasizing e-learning and m-learning.

The university uses Kindles and tablets for e-learning.

Mr. Henery Buregea Bin Rwakenda, the acting Vice Chancellor at Livingstone International University says a Kindle is an electronic personal eBook reader that enables students to interact with their trainers, download academic materials, read e-books and other digital media via a wireless network.

“We are the first University in Uganda and East Africa to start the use of a kindle as a teaching and study device for students and lecturers”, Mr. Henery Buregea says.

He says the University is partnering with Carnegie on a Research Collaboration to Evaluate Kindle implementation under the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program which is managed and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with Quinnipiac University.

The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program is a scholar fellowship program for educational projects at African higher education institutions.

“In June 2015, over 25 lecturers of Livingstone International University underwent a six weeks e–learning and m–learning training aimed at leveraging the power of E–learning and M–learning for teaching, research and study”, Mr. Henery Buregea says.

He adds that the programme is also focusing on evaluation of Kindle implementation and curriculum development to improve the utilization of local and online digital resources as a new way of learning.

“We are in the 21st century and we have to forego the traditional ways of teaching and adopt the technological methods that can widen the students’ access and engagement to academic materials in a friendly way that is interactive”, say Mr. Henery Buregea.

He says the university passed a policy that requires all students to own a kindle or a tablet. A kindle is sold at 100 US dollars while each tablet goes for 200 US dollars.

The university that opened in January 2012 with 37 students has since then grown to a student population of over 150 students.

The pioneer graduates were passed out in July 2015. Mr. Henery Buregea is happy to say that the university has had a chance of seeing some of her students being employed by different companies before they are even passed out.

Though founded on Christian principles, Mr. Henery Buregea says in education there is no religious discrimination and Livingstone International University accommodates students of all religious sects.

Seating on 56 acres of land, the University plans to emphasis more practical courses that are relevant to the economy.

“We want to engage more in Agriculture, Medicine, Computer Science and Mobile Technology, Eco – tourism, material engineering that we believe can empower students with skills for job creation and not think of job seeking”, Mr. Henery Buregea says.

Mr. Henery Buregea however says all is not well given the limited finances. “We need to set up well equipped faculties for media technology, a library that is technologically oriented, and also develop the 56 acres of land the university owns but the current funds are inadequate, we need hug funds of about 10 million dollars to fully realize our dream”.

He says the university is solely depending on students’ fees and donors. The Ugandan government is not extending any financial aid to this newly promising university in the country whose target is to become the leading first class university in Africa.