KAMPALA, UGANDA: Victoria University Kampala (VU) has expressed its gratitude to President Museveni for granting them a charter which reaffirms its position as one of the leading universities in the country.
Museveni in a letter dated August 16 by the NCHE granted the Ruparelia Group-owned university a charter on July 31, 2022, after an initial approval last year in December.
The University in a statement read at the function held at NCHE offices on Friday, August 19, thanked the President for approving their Charter status which now breeds confidence in the institution and its students to add a brick to the development of the country’s education sector.
“As Victoria University, we believe that this charter is a confirmation that we are a leading University in Uganda, East Africa, and Africa in offering Experiential and Work Integrated Learning,” the university said in a statement.
It added; “We are determined to produce graduates with employable skills and capacity to creatively employ themselves. We do this by providing meaningful, hands-on workplace experience to enrich theoretical learning. Our work-integrated learning program is enabling students to complete a program of three to four years with at least 2 to 3 years’ work experience.”
The university charter was officially handed over today by Prof Mary Okwakol, the executive director of the National Council For Higher Education (NCHE) at a colourful ceremony held at the campus premises along Jinja road in Kampala.
Victoria University is the 11th private university in the country to be chartered, out of 32 private universities in Uganda. This is on top of the other 10 public universities in the country.
A charter now means that Victoria University’s academic awards can now be recognized by all universities and institutions around the world; in case one is securing a job or upgrading in academic studies.
It also means that the university has attained the same privileges like the public universities in the country, other than the direct financial support to the institution.
However, the institution will get special recognition and support in the areas of funding students’ education, especially through the Students Loan Scheme, under the Higher Education Students Financing Board.
By law, the charter also allows Victoria University to begin awarding all degrees, including Bachelors, Masters, Doctorates, and Honorary degrees.
The university said in a statement that it has already laid the ground for the start of a doctoral college, with a plan to start 30 Ph.D. Programmes in the next two years.
According to the law, a charter is granted to universities that have demonstrated high quality in staffing, teaching and learning, research output, technology, and practical-led learning, infrastructural development, and good governance, among other issues.
For any institution to be accredited, the president and the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) must be satisfied after a series of inspections and visitations.
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