Masaka: Kampala University Vice Chancellor Professor Badru Dungu Kateregga has challenged students to stop waiting for opportunities and instead use their education to create opportunities for themselves and others.
Professor Kateregga made the remarks on Wednesday during his visit to Kampala University’s Masaka Campus, where he was received by students, academic and non-academic staff and addressed the university community on academic excellence, discipline, professionalism and the institution’s continued growth.
“You are trained to create opportunities,” Professor Kateregga told the students.
He said university education should equip learners with the knowledge, skills and confidence to identify problems and develop solutions, rather than cultivate a culture of dependency.
Professor Kateregga urged students to make independent decisions and uphold discipline and professionalism, saying these values are essential for success beyond university.
Academics must remain central
Addressing the university community, Professor Kateregga said he was impressed by the progress made at the Masaka Campus and commended the marketing, management and finance departments for contributing to Kampala University’s expansion.
“Kampala University is now both a national and international university, attracting different cultures compared to the past years when students mainly came from the Greater Masaka region,” he said.
He noted that the university’s continued growth must be matched by improvements in academic quality and student services.
According to the Vice Chancellor, the university is implementing reforms within the academic department to make its services more responsive to students’ needs and improve the handling of academic concerns.
He also announced the introduction of central marking of examinations, saying the system is intended to minimise disagreements between students and lecturers over examination results and enhance confidence in the assessment process.
Masaka Campus enrolment rises
The campus administrator, Mr Daniel Adaun, reported that the Masaka Campus has recorded enrolment growth and now has 2,556 students.
He said the campus comprises 1,080 full-time students and 1,476 in-service students.
Mr Adaun attributed the increase partly to the efforts of the university’s marketing department, which he said had strengthened the institution’s visibility and attracted students from different parts of Uganda.
The Campus Director, Mr Ibrahim Ssengendo, welcomed the Vice Chancellor and introduced the academic and non-academic staff.
Mr Ssengendo also handed over the land title registered in the names of Kampala University, describing it as an important development for the institution.
He urged students to remain disciplined and work closely with lecturers and university administrators to achieve better academic results.
Research and holistic education
The Dean of Students, Mr Godfrey Kizza, thanked Professor Kateregga for his support towards improving the Masaka Campus.
Mr Kizza said the university was committed to developing students beyond classroom learning through sports, music, dance and drama alongside academic programmes.
He also encouraged first-year students to embrace research from the beginning of their university studies, saying it would strengthen their learning abilities and improve their academic performance.
Students urged to protect university image
Professor Kateregga warned students against behaviours that could undermine their education or damage the reputation of the university.
He specifically cautioned against smoking and alcoholism, urging learners to conduct themselves as responsible professionals.
“For all the years Kampala University has never registered any kind of poor behaviour like demonstration, strike or sit-down,” he said.
He challenged students to become ambassadors of Kampala University by demonstrating integrity, professionalism and excellence wherever they go.
“You are also marketers and ambassadors of Kampala University,” he said.
Professor Kateregga said students’ conduct outside the university could influence how the institution is perceived by prospective students, parents, employers and the wider public.
Students welcome reforms
Vice Guild President Paul Turyahabwe said Professor Kateregga’s Wednesday visit had given students an opportunity to present their concerns directly to university leadership.
He said students were hopeful that the issues raised would receive positive attention.
A student welcomed the introduction of central marking, saying the system could help reduce disagreements between students and lecturers over examination results.
The student said the arrangement could also give learners greater confidence that their examination scripts would be assessed fairly.
As Kampala University continues to expand its presence, Professor Kateregga said growth must go hand in hand with academic excellence, discipline, professionalism and responsible student leadership.
For him, the measure of university education should ultimately be seen in what graduates are able to do with the knowledge and skills they acquire — including their capacity to create opportunities rather than simply wait for them.
