According to the Dean school of languages and literature and communication, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the degree programme is vital especially as the University is already offering the language under Bachelor of Arts degree.
“This means a student has to combine Chinese with another subject which as the institute thought it was not good enough. There is a lot to learn from China and from the Asian continent as a whole,” he stressed.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the rate at which Chinese language and businesses are booming, the course will enable Ugandans to benefit from the development as well as creating a good relationship between the two countries.
“There is a huge demand in the business sector to trade with China because most of the Ugandan Imports come from China, hence there is a growing need for Ugandans who can speak Chinese both for business, diplomacy and also for those who want to study abroad,” Nawangwe says.
Prof. Nawangwe added that 15 students haveset off to Xiangtan University for a one year course in Chinese language and it is from these that tutors of the course will be chosen.
After receiving accreditation from Senate and the National Council for Higher Education, the University will start offering the three-year degree programme next academic year.
The programme is to be offered under the Department of European and Oriental Languages; School of Languages, Literature and Communication in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. It will be taught in both Chinese and English languages.