The CSIR hosted a delegation from the Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology (UICT) for a five-day benchmarking exercise, ending on 18 July 2014. UICT is a public tertiary institution that is operated and managed by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the national communications regulator.
The aim of the visit was to obtain best practice from the CSIR on how to transform the UICT into a centre of excellence in human capacity development. Furthermore, the delegation intended to learn more about curriculum development; delivery methods; infrastructure and facility planning; partnerships; stakeholder engagement; and governance models.
Broadening the focus
Victoria Senkubuge Byoma, a UICT Governing Council member remarked, “The UICT has been narrow in its focus, opting on training and diploma certification of technicians for ICT service providers. The CSIR’s focus is broad, but purposeful. We will have to broaden the execution of our mandate to include and emphasise research, innovation and collaborations. The CSIR has offered the best benchmarking choice.”
Lending a helping hand
The delegation identified an opportunity to collaborate with the CSIR in building a research, development and innovation capability, as well as in managing local and international research and innovation collaborations. “The UCC requires an experienced guiding hand and we think that the CSIR can be that hand,” said Byoma. “The major lesson from the visit was that, as a public institution, we need to design a mandate that enables us to impact the lives of people,” she added.
The two organisations are already working on a Memorandum of Understanding.
 From left to right: Consolata Kakwera Bitature: Principal Lecturer in ICT department, Mr Livingstone Kizza, a Bursar, Victoria Senkubuge Byoma, Governing Council member of Uganda Institute of Information and Technology, Kagiso Chikane (CSIR Meraka Institute), Byaruhanga Bruhan Mugisha, Council member of Uganda Institute of Information and Technology, Lee Annamalai (CSIR Meraka Institute), Barend Taute (CSIR Meraka Institute). |
12 August 2014
CSIR Strategic Communication
