Kateregga commends virtual ceremonies

The convocation of academicians led by Kampala University Academic registrar, Mr Hamza Ssegawa (Left), arriving for a virtual graduation ceremony in Ggaba- Kampala. Photo | Gabriel Buule

What you need to know:

  • Speaking at the second graduation ceremony of East African University Rwanda (EAUR), an affiliate of Kampala University, Prof Kateregga added that much as virtual graduations detach institutions from communities, they should be embraced.

Renowned academician and education entrepreneur Badru Ddungu Kateregga has urged universities to embrace virtual graduations as a cost-effective alternative to the conventional mass gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking at the second graduation ceremony of East African University Rwanda (EAUR), an affiliate of Kampala University, Prof Kateregga added that much as virtual graduations detach institutions from communities, they should be embraced.

“It is sad that the graduations where parents and universities celebrated their students’ success are no longer possible, but it is also an opportunity for us to manage budgets as we look forward to the future,” Kateregga noted.

The Chairman Board of Trustees, EAUR, explained that private institutions get overwhelmed by expensive budgets, which could worsen under these hard economic times due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have to merge the old approach with the new normal to find a way of dealing with the costs,” said Kateregga, who operates a network of universities across East Africa.
Mr Julius Ssekatawa, Kampala University spokesperson, says the institution has been spending more than Shs500 million to organise graduation ceremonies of at least 10,000 people every year.

He notes that the university can cut the budget by nearly 80 per cent to cater for about 70 people, in observance of the standard operating procedures set by the Education and Health ministries.  
The virtual ceremony in Nyagatare, Rwanda, was streamed live on TV10 Rwanda and at Kampala University in Kampala.

At least 200 graduands were awarded certificates, diplomas and degrees in filmmaking and film production, mass communication, leisure tourism and hotel management, art and design, among others.