By Eriah Lule
The Vice-Chancellor of Uganda Christian University, Assoc Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi on December 6 led a team of lecturers from the Faculty of Agricultural Science to Benin to participate in the Agriculture Triennial Conference.
The conference brings together policymakers including ministers and technical experts, higher education leaders in Africa, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, innovators, students, and farmer organizations.
This year’s conference aims to achieve several goals including catalyzing investment in higher education for strengthening African Science, Technology, and Innovation and promoting international linkages and partnerships for strengthening higher education in Africa.
At the five-day forum, UCU is expected to exhibit and further network with other universities and officials, said Dr. James Higenyi a senior lecturer at the faculty.
“We expect to collaborate with other universities in areas of research, explore the exchange program and as well increase capacity building of our lecturers,” he added.
The Faculty of Agriculture recently also won a grant worth 400,000 Euros (Sh1.6bn) for enhancing the capacity of small-scale producers to access markets and meet demand and the Vice-Chancellor commended its leaders for robust research initiatives.
“We are very proud of you Dean (Prof. Elizabeth Kizito) and your team. I applaud your continued efforts to advance research and partnerships at UCU,” Mushengyezi said.
The conference, whose theme is Operationalising Education for Innovation, Industrialisation, Inclusion and Sustainable Economic Development in Africa: A Call for Action” is running from December 6-10.