Govt tips varsities on technology use

Education minister Janet Museveni has urged universities to adopt technology in the post Covid-19 era.
Ms Museveni, who is also the First Lady, said technology has provided a new approach to work.

This was contained in her speech read  by State minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo during the sixth graduation ceremony of Victoria University at the weekend in Kampala.

“We are at a time of advanced technology and the onset of the pandemic underlined the urgent need for transition in the way we go about our day-to-day lives. Advancement in technology is the current reality, therefore, universities should reflect on it in the teaching of our children,” Ms Museveni said.

She added: “The current data by job survey indicates that on average six percent of the workers are expected to be fully displaced by machines globally by 2025. The same survey indicates that globally by 2025, 44 percent of the skills that employees will need to perform their roles effectively will definitely have to change.

This implies that both individuals and companies must seek to provide re-skilling and upskilling opportunities for their staff, so these grandaunts must think seriously about these trends.”
Ms Museveni expressed concern over the increasing number of graduates with no employable skills and inability to start businesses.

She urged institutions of higher learning to combat the unemployment tide in the country through implementation of Authentic Learning Implementation Model, a formula that provides hands-on work experience to enrich theoretical learning.

In his remarks, Minister Muyingo applauded Victoria University for recently being awarded to a charter, before urging the administrators to always ensure that the conditions of a chartered university are met.

“The ministry of Education and National Council for High Education shall always do the monitoring to ensure that the conditions of the charter are met at all the times,” Mr Muyingo said.

“I encourage the grandaunts to use the knowledge they have acquired to not only look for jobs but take advantage of the many opportunities out there to create jobs and those with the opportunity, I encourage you to further your studies since learning is a lifelong process,” he added.

Call on govt
The University Chancellor, Prof John Opuda, asked government to help private institutions when in need, adding that they equally contribute to the development of the country’s human resource, research and improving the international image of Uganda through globalised education.

The graduation that was held under the theme: “Step higher into your future”, saw 295 students graduate in various academic disciplines.

Mr Anatoli Kuwebwa emerged as the best performer with CGPA 4.92 while Ms Merisa Nankya was the best female graduate with CGPA 4.85.