Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Africa Strategic Leadership Center (ASLC) in a collaborative initiative of leaders from the public and private sectors.
ASLC intends to partner with the university due to its highest number of human resource, including 60 professors who would collaborate in conducting research in agriculture, food security and climate change, economy, industry and business, leadership and governance as well as peace and security.
The independent non profit organization is located at Kololo and commits itself to the “growing Africa’s economic opportunities and empowering African leadership through research and policy”, according to Kampala businessman, Dr. Robert Mwesigwa who is the ASLC board of directors’ chairman.
He added that the center will act as a market place for ideas to engage leaders from government, academia, private sector and civil society to agree on a common agenda.
Vice chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said that since the university has a lot of potential and has the highest number of human resource personnel in the region, it has committed to becoming a research-based and partner with ASLC to contribute to the transformation of the country.
“We are now engaging the government on how Makerere can be of benefit to the country and the region, we must therefore work with everybody to give back to our communities because a lot has been invested here,” he explained.
The MoU was signed by Nawangwe, on behalf of the university and Mwesigwa signed on behalf of the center.
It was witnessed by university senior staff including Prof. Edward Kirumira the principal of the college of humanities and social sciences, members of the board of directors of ASLC including former speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Dan Kidega , Nkrumah’s daughter Samia Yaba Betty Bigombe among others.
The ASLC was officially launched by the Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda at Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday under the theme; Positioning Africa for the 21st Century.
The launch of the center is in preparation of the annual Africa Now Congress in March next year, which is expected to host no less than 15 heads of state to deliberate on a number of issues.
“Surprisingly, the African Forum is hosted in Europe, but we must change this and host in Africa and find solutions to our problems by ourselves,” Mwesigwa stated.
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