Uganda Christian University (UCU) has completed developing the curricula on sustainable renewable energies and a green environment with support from the European Union-EU.
Implemented under “DALILA, a Swahili word meaning delicate and gentle, the project commenced in 2020 with funding from the Education, Audio-Visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) under EU to transfer theory and contemporary practical skills and experiences to renewable energy entrepreneurial opportunities for youths.
Vincent Kisenyi, the Dean School of Business at UCU, says that they have so far developed six modules for a post-graduate diploma on the use of renewable energies such as wind and solar power.
The school of business and engineering department developed three modules each, which have since been approved by the National Council for Higher Education. EU injected US$ 117.8million into the project.
The project runs in Uganda Martyrs University which considered the development of undergraduate curricula while UCU did for the post-graduate program. A similar project at the University of Dodoma in Tanzania is expected to end in January 2023.
Prof. Katiuscia Cipri, the DALILA Project Coordinator from Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, says that the project is intended to increase the capacity to harness renewable energy, and build new networks for collaboration with global partners while also bridging the critical skills gap, especially among youths.
The curricula come at a time when several forests in the country are facing depletion because of increased pressure for wood fuel and timber for construction. The UCU Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi, says that the dependence on wood fuel is not only contributing to environmental degradation but respiratory diseases as well.
The Kyaggwe County Chief under Mengo, Elija Bogeere, spent the entire week traversing the county to spread messages about preserving forests and planting trees as part of the activities marking the Buganda week for environment conservation.