BY PHILIMON BADAGAWA

Prisca Mbaguta Sezi, minister of state for public service recently launched a book about meeting planning and management, a guide for conducting productive meetings. The book was written by 57 year old Mary Goretti Katusabe Ssemwezi, a professional Literature and English teacher.

The minister urged the members of parliament to read this book and use it as a guide when conducting their meetings because they spend a lot of money and time while meeting in hotels and yet some of these meetings can be held in their boardrooms. “You find four MPs in an expensive hotel that they are compiling a report as if they cannot meet in their boardrooms” Prisca Mbaguta pointed out while speaking at the launch at Nkumba University.

The book that covers 268 pages spells out on how to organize a meeting right from notifying the members about the meeting, the venue, sitting arrangement, the purpose, writing of minutes, evaluation of the meeting among other things.

The Author has ever taught at Trinity College Nabingo, Lectured at National Teachers College Nkozi and served as the Academic Registrar of the current defunct Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo, one of the institutions that were merged to form Kyambogo University. She also served as the University Secretary at Kyambogo before joining Nkumba where she is serving in the same capacity.

The launch was attended by MPs, Margret Kanyabuzana and Sheila Kawamala, Dr Abdul Kaziba Mpaata, Vice Rector Islamic University in Uganda, dons from different Universities, students among others.

philebadagawa@gmail.com

BY PHILIMON BADAGAWA

Education pays and books don’t lie. And if this is the case, then students of Makerere University Business School {MUBS} have a reason to smile. A thirteen billion library structure was recently commissioned at MUBS by the President of Uganda, Y.K Museveni.

The Library is air conditioned and if students sweat while reading from it, it will not be because of the heat but their failure to understand business statistics. The building creates a good eye impression of its bluish glasses and the attractive design. The structure can accommodate one thousand students at once unlike the old one which had a capacity of only one hundred. MUBS’ new library now becomes the second largest in Uganda after the one at Makerere University.

The library has a provision for E-books though the principal,Prof.

Wasswa Balunya says it needs more funding to be fully equipped with modern computers and internet.

He thanked the government for the eight billions offered towards the completion of the library but not satisfied with the current status of MUBS. Balunya is requesting the president to let MUBS be upgraded to a degree warding institution instead of operating under Makerere University. However, the president promised to study their request and advised them to introduce other new courses that are on demand. “Start faculties that will produce graduates with demanded skills on the market, think of science teachers, don’t teach students skills that are not demanded”, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,the president of Uganda suggested to the administration of MUBS.

The function was attended by the minister of education and sports,Hon.

Judith Alupo,Vice chancellor of Makerere University, Prof.Byaramureba, the university council of MUBS led by their chairman, Collin Ssentogo and students.

BY PHILIMON BADAGAWA

Nkumba University has given out sixty million shillings to facilitate successful research proposals from different individuals. The researchers were each given 10 million shillings as a research grant last week and their studies are to last one year.  The Vice Chancellor of Nkumba University, Prof. Paul Edward Mugambi said the funds for these research grants are secured from the university’s meager resources.

Prof. Orach-Meza, who put Nile perch fish into Lake Victoria, received ten million shillings to conduct research on general ecosystem modeling for predicting basic productivity of Lake Victoria. Prof.Wilson Muyinda Mande’s research will be based on graduates from university to their work place. The man behind the “Oluwoko Malaria project” a presidential initiative on fighting against malaria, Assoc Prof.

M P Musoke will conduct his research on a study towards realizing an environmental policy.

Others who got the grants included Assoc Prof. Andrew P Yiga who is to carry out research on experimenting with diverse local clays to develop decorative fragmented mosaic motifs and works.

Peter Kibuuka is looking at an assessment of the domestication of EALA policies that promote East African Integration by the national assemblies of member states.

The Vice Chancellor said these grants are given out annually and they are aimed at promoting research so as to enhance excellent teaching and contribute to solving societal problems. He however cautioned the researchers to use the money for the right purpose and avoid using it for personal benefits. “The university will ask for accountability at the end of your findings, so don’t divert this money,” Prof. Paul Edward Mugambi warned.

Congratulations….was the only word from parents to those who had successfully completed their studies at the 14^th graduation ceremony of Nkumba University where 2012 were awarded Certificates, Diplomas, Degrees and PhDs in different disciplines. The new chancellor, Prof.Gordon Kasibante Wavamuno presided over the function for his first time after being appointed the 4^th chancellor in August this year.

Nkumba this time produced the first ever PhD student, Venancy Martin Makilika graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in Development Economics.

Out of the 2012 who graduated on 22^nd October,38 got certificates,412 received Diplomas,830 of 1444 who were awarded Degrees were females while out of 128 postgraduates,75 were males. The percentage of female graduands stood at 58% as compared to 42% of the male graduands. This year’s graduation doubled the previous one where only 1000 were awarded Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees in various academic disciplines.

The best degree graduand was David Luyinda, Bachelor of Fisheries Management Technologies with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.5. Zam Nambooze was the best Diploma graduand with CGPA 4.

5 in HIV/AIDS Education. After the ceremony, the graduands walked away with their academic transcripts.

The Vice Chancellor,Prof.Paul E. Mugambi, advised the graduands to use the acquired skills and knowledge to think for themselves. He revealed that the university has started offering science courses such as petroleum and mineral management to foster economic growth in the country after the discovery of oil in Uganda.

The ceremony was attended by Prof.Senteza Kajubi,Dons from other universities among others.

The graduation ceremony was preceded by a commencement lecture that was presented by Prof.Paul Nshuti Manasseh,a senior economic adviser in Rwanda under the theme “Employment of Graduates in the expanded East African Community”. He encouraged the fresh graduates to think beyond Uganda and look for opportunities in other East African countries. Nshuti blamed the labour policy makers for failing to tap human capital that can induce development.

He noted that member countries with labour shortages should fill their gaps by offering jobs to qualified graduates from other countries in the EA Community.

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