Senior Exchange and Programmes Officer at the IUCEA visits KAB
The Inter-University Council for East Africa is an institution of the East African Community, which is a regional intergovernmental organization of the republics of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan. IUCEA aims to foster collaboration between Universities in the IUCEA region.
Yesterday the 13th of December, Dr. Gervais Ndayizeye the Senior Exchange and Programmes Officer at the Inter-University Council for East Africa
visited Kabale University to evaluate the impact of staff exchange and staff mobility.
Some of the members under the staff exchange that he met include Dr. Costance Tukwasibwe, Prof Kaaya Sirage, and Dr. Abbas Mugisha
He says the lecturers he met and had an interaction with are very happy and glad to have been part of the staff mobility and exchange program and wish to have more opportunities to impact the community through teaching.
Dr. Gervais Ndayizeye advises lecturers to open up and apply for the staff exchange programs because it brings them exposure, adding that participating in the program also helps them get contacts and more connections.
Dr. Ndayizeye adds that by one participating in the exchange and staff mobility program helps a lecturer increase his or her knowledge and experience that is by seeing and learning from the host Universities.
Among the lecturers received under the staff exchange program include in the 2021/2022 academic year include;
- Kabaji Egra from Masinde Muliro University – Kenya
- George Odera Rading from the University of Nairobi – Kenya
- Nkurunziza Hilaire from the University of Burundi – Burundi
- Uronu Wilfred Lamech from Mzumbe University – Tanzania
- Niyonzima Ezechiel from the University of Technology and Arts Of Byumba – Rwanda
On the other hand, Kabale University has sent some of its staff to participate in the IUCEA staff exchange program and among them are Dr. Tukwasibwe Constance who was posted to Kibabii University in Kenya, Dr. Chama Julius, Assoc Prof. Businge Phelix Mbabazi and Prof. Kaaya Sirage were all posted to University of Technology and Arts of Byumba in Rwanda.
Dr. Gervais Ndayizeye furthermore explained that the minimum qualification required for one to be taken up and considered in the staff exchange program is to have a Ph.D.
Prof Joy Constance Kwesiga the Vice Chancellor Kabale University says that this a very good program encouraging staff to participate and apply asking to be posted to other Universities
She also suggested that IUCEA should at least orient the staff/lecturers who are always posted to other universities and help them align their expectations. She suggested that the council needs to do a follow-up and make sure that these participating lecturers are gaining from the program not only in terms of finances but also in experience and exposure.
Dr. Ndayizeye says the staff exchange is not a-today thing saying that it has been on since the IUCEA started but the people didn’t promote it enough. He encouraged members to always look out for other places and said that most of the staff are applying and going to one University yet there are many other universities in the region that would love to host and have them.
He encouraged them to try out Universities in Kenya and Sudan where they have not been.
Academic staff from member universities who would like to participate and be part in staff Mobility must have an academic rank of lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor or professor.
The Host University (University they would love to be posted to) must be a member university located in a different Partner State from the Home University and which is different from the country of the applicant’s nationality.
The other reason Dr. Ndayizeye was visiting was to request Kabale University to commit to the East African community students ‘mobility scholarship scheme (eac-sms). The East Africa Community Students’ Mobility Scholarship Scheme (EAC-SMS) was developed in March 2022 and subsequently approved by the IUCEA Executive Committee at its 35th Meeting held on 4th July 2022 in Bujumbura and adopted by the IUCEA Annual Forum held on 6th July 2022. This initiative saw eleven vice-chancellors of the IUCEA member universities commit to pioneering the implementation of the initiative.
The Inter-University Council for East Africa encourages Universities to provide at least 1 slot for students from EAC Partner States other than their own that is at either undergraduate or postgraduate level
It is IUCEA’s responsibility to coordinate the scheme at regional level; mobilize Universities and other stakeholders to participate in the EAC-SMS, provide medical insurance coverage; provide transport facilitation by the cheapest means applicable at the beginning and end of the academic programme, provide master’s and PhD students with a lumpsum to be determined from time to time in support of research and provide administrative and management support.
Universities on the other hand are required to select at least 1 student from each of the EAC partner States other than their own in the programmes determined, of scholarships through tuition and examination fees waiver , provide annual progress reports on the performance of the scholarship.
Dr. Ndayizeye on the other hand said that students were only required to apply to the universities of their choice in the region whose programmes have been selected for the scholarship scheme and parents/guardians mobilize any additional resources to support their children.
Kabale University’s Vice-Chencellor Prof. C. Kwesiga and management team welcomed the good initiative of IUCEA’s secretariat and agreed to commit to the implementation of EAC-SMS.
Established in 1967, Inter-University Council for East Africa’s mission is to encourage and develop mutually beneficial collaboration between member universities and between them and governments and other organizations, both public and private.
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Sudan are all member states in the IUCEA.
IUCEA is recognized as a surviving institution of the EAC and in 2009
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