LUWERO – Over 1900 students have Friday, October 11, 2019, graduated from Ndejje University, at its 21st Graduation Ceremony.
The graduation ceremony is taking place at the University-Main Campus in Luwero.
Students have received Degrees and Diplomas, Certificates plus Post Graduate degrees in various academic disciplines at a ceremony presided over by the Chancellor, Hon. Dr. Kisamba Mugerwa and Makerere University former Chancellor Prof. Mondo Kagonyera.
Prof. Kagonyera challenged Ndejje University to be a centre of excellence.
“I want Ndejje University to also be a centre of civilization. Today, world economies are more dependent on knowledge hence the pivotal role of university education in the development of our country,” he said that government, the institutions and the private sector should work together in order to identify areas where improvements in the skills of young people can be made.
“Many times, universities have been unfairly criticized. In other countries, governments have worked together with the private sector to put up centres of excellence. It is these centres of excellence that young men and women go for further sharpening of the skills they have gotten at the university.
He told graduands that education is an important factor in promoting the development of the country and that since time immemorial, universities have been centres of civilization.
He urged graduands to be deceived that through studies and propaganda that Africans are in one way created inadequately.
“Those of you who study the history of knowledge know very well that civilization began in the Nile Valley. The Nile Valley was not occupied by Arabs, Arabs are recent occupants. It was occupied by people like me and you (Africans) so it is not true that we can’t do as well as the others,” he added.
Ndejje University Chancellor Dr Wilberforce Kisamba Mugerwa said the development of higher education in Uganda dates back to the colonial era when Makerere University was established and that over the years, there has been an expansion in students enrollment caused by increased demand for higher education and this has led to established of various institutions of higher learning.
Ndejje University was founded in 1992, chartered in 2009 and has been in existence for 27 years.
Dr Kisamba Mugerwa said that through teaching, the university has excelled in research, community engagement, innovation training.
Also at the event, the Executive Director, Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB), Mr Michael Wanyama thanked the Student Loan Scheme Beneficiaries for working hard and being disciplined.
He reminded them to start repayment of the loan as soon as the statutory one year grace period comes to an end.
101 of the graduates today are Student Loan Scheme Beneficiaries with over 60% have been undertaking Engineering disciplines.
Ndejje University has hosted over 1000 Student Loan Beneficiaries since the programme inception in 2014 and impacts the University budget with over UGX1 billion every semester in student tuitions.
