Busoga University visits Kabale University for a benchmarking exercise

Busoga University Visits Kabale University for Benchmarking Exercise

Kabale University was honored to host a delegation from Busoga University for a benchmarking exercise, led by the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Tabuti. The visiting team was warmly received by Prof. Johnny Mugisha, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVC-AA) and the University Secretary, Canon Munono Baryantuma. In his welcome remarks, the DVC-AA noted, “It is a great honor to receive visitors of your stature,” emphasizing Kabale University’s commitment to collaboration and mutual growth within the higher education sector.

Busoga University, though geographically close to Busitema University, was originally established by the Church of Uganda (Busoga Diocese) in 1999. Due to several challenges, the university’s growth was hindered. However, the government of Uganda has since intervened, and Busoga University is now in the advanced stages of becoming the 11th public university in the country.

Professor John Tabuti, who is serving as the interim Vice Chancellor of Busoga University, highlighted the institution’s journey and the efforts being made to reestablish it as a public university. He shared that a task force was constituted in 2019 to explore viable strategies for this transformation.

During the visit, the Busoga University team was particularly keen on learning about Kabale University’s approaches to: Staff reengagement and retention strategies, fostering a positive organizational mindset, managing anticipated institutional changes, overcoming challenges and celebrating successes in staff initiatives and identifying opportunities for ongoing collaboration and knowledge-sharing. The information shared ranged from human resource practices to challenges faced during institutional transition from being a private university to a public university and staff development strategies. The Busoga University team expressed gratitude for the openness and willingness of Kabale University to share their experiences.

In his closing remarks, the DVC-AA emphasized the importance of collaboration over competition, stating, “We need to work towards complementing each other.” Professor Tabuti, on behalf of the Busoga team, appreciated the warm reception and expressed hope for continued partnerships. Prof. Emurwon further acknowledged the Kabale team for their openness, stating that this spirit of collaboration is essential as both institutions move forward.