By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: The Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) prof. Mary Okwakol has challenged other universities to emulate Victoria University if they’re to achieve charters and steady progress in their academic horizons,
Prof. Okwakol made the comments on Friday afternoon while presiding over the ceremony of official hand over of a charter status to Victoria University.
At the function that was held at council’s head office in Kiwatule, a Kampala surbab, Prof. Okwakol revealed that the NCHE granted them the charter because they have satisfied the council with all the required standards, systems and practices.
“Don’t say we’ve given them. No. A charter isn’t given, it’s worked for. That’s why, out of 43 Universities we have in Uganda, Victoria University becomes the eleventh one (11). We have only 11 chartered Universities in Uganda,” she said.
She hailed Victoria management for working harder and acquiring a charter in a short period of time compared to most which have been in operation longer than Victoria University but are yet to get cleared.
According to Prof.Okwakol, a charter is granted to universities that have demonstrated high quality in staffing, technology and practical-led learning, infrastructural development, teaching and learning, research output, good governance, among others.
“To get a charter, you must satisfy the board on many things, including spacious and conducive environment for learners to study well, enough study rooms, academic programs, teaching staff, support staff, students’ leadership among others,” she added.
For any institution to be accredited, the president and the National Council of Higher Education must be satisfied after a series of inspections and visitations.
Meanwhile ,the entire management of Victoria University in a message delivered by the Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga has appreciated President Museveni for granting them a charter status.
“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. 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,” Dr. Muganga said during the handover ceremony.
While receiving the certificate, the Chairman board of directors Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia hailed the council for guiding them on best practices and enabling them to achieve such a mile stone in a short period of time.
The charter now means that Victoria University’s academic awards can now be recognized by all universities and institutions around the world and gets to enjoy the same privileges like public universities in the country, other than the direct financial support to the institution.
The charter also allows Victoria University to begin awarding all degrees, including Bachelors, Masters, Doctorates, and Honorary degrees.
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.
About Victoria University
According to Dr. Muganga, Victoria University 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.
Founded in 2013, the University is currently the fastest-growing university in East Africa. It is located in the heart of Kampala city and on the main public transportation routes at Victoria Towers, Plot 1-13, Jinja Road.
Victoria University is part of the Ruparelia Group of Companies whose footprint in the education sector runs right from the foundational primary level to the highest level of education in Uganda. University’s sister schools include Kampala International School of Uganda, Kampala Parents School and Delhi Public School International.
Victoria University is a cosmopolitan university with students from more than 50 countries across the world. It is accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to offer degree programs in the Faculties of Business Management, Health Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science and Technology, the Institute of Education and the School of Law.
Having been ranked by the NCHE as the best in delivery of Emergency Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) with an impressive score of 86.1%, Victoria University has cemented its place as Uganda’s leading technologically–enabled university.
”We are happy to be the first University approved to host an EON Reality Center in Uganda, paving the path to introduce Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology in education,” says Victoria University, Uganda’s only institution that offers a curriculum that focuses on both today and future’s workforce needs.
