Minister assures university staff of job security
Education minister Jessica Alupo congratulates Dr Charles Lagu of Mbarara Zonal Agricultural Research Institute after he graduated with a PhD at Mbarara University of Science and Technology at the weekend. PHOTO BY RAJAB MUKOMBOZI
What you need to know:
Reason. Ms Jessica Alupo says restructuring in public universities will not lead to loss of jobs.
MBARARA. Education minister Jessica Alupo has assured academic staff in public universities that they will not lose jobs over a directive by the President to restructure courses.
Ms Alupo made the pledge at the weekend during the 21st graduation ceremony for Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) at the new campus in Kihumuro, on the Bushenyi-Kasese highway about five kilometres off Mbarara Town.
“There has been grumbling about restructuring, it’s true that the President directed all public universities to restructure their courses with intention of helping students who complete university to employ themselves or get employed much more easily but no professor and other academic staff will lose jobs,” said Ms Alupo.
She said they should instead work with other stakeholders to see how best the restructuring can be done. She added that no academic programmes will be lost but that some will be merged.
The minister also announced Shs33 billion for science infrastructural development to the university, an initiative, she said, is being taken with funding from the African Development Bank.
She said the money will be used to build and equip laboratories, facilitate ICT teaching and E-learning and set up a state-of-art incubation theatre.
Ms Alupo informed graduands that a lot has been invested in them and are, therefore, accountable to every citizen of the country, and ought to serve them better and professionally.
The MUST chancellor, Prof Peter Mugyenyi, expressed the university’s commitment to produce graduates who are capable of transforming society.
Prof Mugyenyi, however, said inadequate staff and remuneration are still a challenge at the institution.
A total of 984 students were awarded diplomas and degrees in different disciplines. A total of 587 were males while 397 were females.
BACKGROUND
Last year, President Museveni directed public universities to scrap “irrelevant” courses that do not contribute to national development. He identified some of the irrelevant courses as Bachelor of Conflict Resolution and Bachelor of Women and Gender Studies.
