Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University has told a delegation from the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) that the University is steadily taking an approach to solving community problems.
Nawangwe said Makerere University is not just here to offer education to students but also to solve the major challenges facing the communities around it, the Country, East Africa, and the world at large.
Makerere University is one of the leading research institutions on HIV/AIDS in the world. We have led in research, in Tuberculosis, Covid-19 and the production of electric vehicles by Kiira Motors to mention but a few, he said
As Makerere continue to celebrate 100 years of existence, Prof. Nawangwe said using academia to find solutions to the problems affecting the communities is among the best approach that is helping the University to remain relevant not only in Uganda but the entire East African region and the world at large.
The professor was speaking to a high-level delegation of Justices of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) who visited the University on Wednesday, November 30, at Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility.
He passed through the delegation some of the journeys of the University since its inception in October 1922.
In 1963, Makerere University broke links with the University of London, leading to the creation of the University of East Africa in the same year, he said
On 1st July 1970, the University of East Africa was broken down to create three independent East African Universities in Makerere, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam. The Inauguration ceremony of the independence of the three Universities to place here, he added.
During the reign of Idi Amin, he said that the University suffered a great exodus of professors from the University which affected the provision of quality higher education and some few returned after the 1986 NRM capture of power.
Soon after, University education was soon liberalized which caused an explosion in the number of students pursuing degrees. This ushered in a new era of infrastructural expansion at Makerere University, he said
Makerere, he said in 2011, shifted from the Faculty system to the College system for the administration of our education system. “Today we have 10 colleges,”
The EACJ delegation was led by Hon. Justice Nestor Kayobera President of the East African Court of Justice, Hon. Lady Justice Sauda Mjasiri Vice President East African Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Yohane Masara, Principal Judge East African Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Dr. Charles Nyawello, Deputy Principal Judge East African Court of Justice, several other officials from EACJ, and members of Uganda’s judiciary.
Several Alumni of Makerere University School of Law from the EACJ were among the delegation.
The major aim of the visit was to discuss the role of academia in promoting Justice in East African Community Integration Agenda.
In his remarks, Hon. Justice Nestor Kayobera, the Judge President of EACJ expressed his gratitude for not only offering education but also solving world problems through conducting research and promoting innovations.
Today is the 21st anniversary of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the East African Community (EAC). We are beyond honored to celebrate our anniversary with Makerere University, as they celebrate. As we celebrate 21 years, we have dedicated 40 days of practicing Justice in Uganda, hosting joint conferences, delivering judgments, visiting and celebrating with Makerere University, he said adding
We thank the University for giving unto us great Judges in the Court of Justice of East Africa because almost all of the judges in today’s delegation are alumni of the Makerere Law School,”
Their visit to Uganda, he said is among the objectives of the EAC treaty, of implementing the principle of social justice, and community engagement.
“We are demnsfying the practice of judges just sitting in their chambers, apart from issuing judgments, do the judges interact with the communities because this will not remove your independence,” he said
“We have been here since November 2, we are Integrating the Community right now we are using the facilities of our colleagues in Uganda, their boardrooms, chambers, our staffs are here, we have visited places, we are dealing with cases, we want to put human dignity in the chambers,” he said
The delegation afterward visited different stalls at the exhibition at the University where they saw numerous innovations being done by Ugandan students and entrepreneurs.
Among these exhibitions are; Ugandans who are adding value to sweet and Irish potatoes by making cookies, the invention of an automated spray drier by one Job Nelson Nsubuga and his team, who are turning eggs into powder to increase their durability from the current one-month to between 2 and 5 years.
Others are developing aromatic oil from eucalyptus trees, centric trees omg others, and developed farm monitoring systems among others.
After the exhibition, the delegation visited the University Library and afterward concluded the visit by visiting the Makerere School of Law, where they interacted with students of Law.
