Victoria varsity students to be relocated to affiliate campuses

Compensation. Students currently at the university could be relocated to the-soon-to-be opened Nairobi branch, while others could be moved to local universities to complete their studies.

Students offering courses validated by the University of Buckingham at Victoria University will be transferred to other campuses outside Uganda so that they complete their studies.

According to a source familiar with the activities of the university, officials are currently in Nairobi setting up a university which could be the possible destination of about 200 students who were affected after the UK-based university decided to suspend the validation of degrees provided by Victoria over the gays Bill.

Admission under same conditions
“The students will be admitted in the other campuses on exactly the same terms and conditions as they were in Kampala and that is going to be done with immediate effect,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak on behalf of the university, said.Mr David Young, the university vice chancellor, confirmed the development, and said the other options are Middlesex University Dubai, or Buckingham University in the UK.

“Any students who will not take advantage of this arrangement will be provided with all the necessary assistance to ensure that they are transferred to Ugandan-based universities. They will be accorded with complete transcripts showing where they stopped with their academics,” Mr Young said in an interview.

According to the source, Buckingham decided to part ways with Edulink Consultants, the founders of Victoria University, after the former notified their counterparts that if the gays Bill is passed, they will have to abide by the laws of Uganda which did not go well with officials at the University of Buckingham since it infringed on their admission policy of inclusiveness.

“Buckingham University was being criticised by stakeholders on why it was still collaborating with a university in a country that is against a given sexual orientation and at that point they suspended their affiliation. Renewal is subject to the passing or not passing of the bill,” the source added.

akiyaga@ug.nationmedia.com