Prof. George Openjuru Ladaah Appointed Gulu University Vice Chancellor

Prof. George Openjuru Ladaah has been appointed as the new vice chancellor of Gulu University.

According to information from the university, Prof. Openjuru will officially be installed during the 13th graduation ceremony of Gulu University scheduled for Saturday 13th January 2018.

He beat three other contestants in the race for the position. These included:

1. Prof Joseph Obua, a researcher in the USA,
2. Prof Paul Wako, a pharmacologist from Makerere University
3. Dr Byaruhanga Rukooko, an associate professor in Philosophy from Makerere University.

Prof. George Openjuru takes over from Prof. Jack Nyeko Pen-Mogi whose contract expired at the beginning of 2017.

The Vice-Chancellor is responsible for the academic, administrative and financial affairs of the University; and in the absence of the Chancellor, he/she can preside over ceremonial assemblies of the University and confer degrees and other academic titles and distinctions of the University. The Vice Chancellor is the Chief Executive officer of the University.

Profile of Prof. George Openjuru:

He worked as Dean School of Distance and Lifelong Learning, College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University before joining Gulu University as Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs. He held this position till his appointment as Vice Chancellor, Gulu University.

He was an Associate Professor of Adult and Community Education. His area of specialisation and research is adult literacy education, and Lifelong Learning.

Prof. George Openjuru holds a PhD in Education with specific focus on adult literacy education.

He has published articles in the area of adult literacy education, lifelong learning, Higher Education, Community Based Participatory Action Research. He taught the following courses at postgraduate level. Theories and philosophy in adult and community education; policy studies in adult and community education, Adult literacy studies, Adult Education and Community Development all at Postgraduate level while still at Makerere University.

As part of his University community engagement, Prof. George Openjuru is active in supporting civil society organizations that are engaged in the promotion of adult education in Uganda and Chairperson of Uganda Adult Education Network (UgaAdEN).

He is a Partner in the UNESCO Chair on Social Responsibility In Higher Education and Community University Engagement. Coordinator UNESCO Chair of Lifelong Learning Youth and Work Gulu University.

He is presently part of an East African Team working on the TESCEA/SPHEIR Project focusing on enhancing graduate employability for social change in East Africa.

He has coordinated a number of projects in the area of adult literacy education, Entrepreneurship Literacies for non-literate out of school youths in Uganda.

He was involved with youth entrepreneurship and employability training with many universities in Uganda and UK