UTAMU Dons for RUFORUM Conference in Mozambique

Two dons from Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU) are hoisting the institution’s flag higher in the Mozambican capital Maputo at the 4th Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORM) 2014 conference.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jude. T. Lubega together with the Manager, Engagement, Research and Innovation, Mr. Drake P. Mirembe have been facilitating to participants from over 40 countries on the significance of integrating ICT in Education through application of the UTAMU Hybrid model and Using ICT to help farmers in the rural areas in Uganda.

UTAMU developed the UTAMU Hybrid Model that empowers both students and teachers to effectively tap into the available technologies to foster education. UTAMU was the first university to fully integrate e-learning in its educational delivery modes and currently, each academic programme offered at the University is online.

Lubega urged participants to embrace change and employ the latest technologies to make both the learning and teaching processes interesting and rewarding. “The biggest challenge with most academic institutions is that they keep on doing the same things all over again and expect to get better results. For us at UTAMU, we believe ICTs will enable us to achieve more”, Lubega highlighted.

He further stressed that incorporating ICT in Education not only facilitates effective collaboration and networking but also empowers students to share learning resources and carry out research.

Lubega, however advised participants to make hybrid integration e-learning more entertaining, engaging, enriching and empowering for learners to get the best out of this educational delivery model.

“We have more than 40 countries being represented here at this conference and we hope people can learn from UTAMU. If other disciplines like agriculture embraced new forms of teaching and learning using ICTs, I am confident that farmers will ultimately increase the quality and quantity of their agricultural produces.”, he added.

Prof. Jude T. Lubega is currently one of the most experienced e-learning experts within Africa and beyond.

The five day conference which commenced on 21st is expected to end today, 25th July 2014. RUFORM is a consortium of 42 universities whose mandate is to oversee graduate training and networks of specialization in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) countries to foster innovative and responsive research.