The Rector of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Associate professor Ismail Ssimbwa Gyagenda has told IUIU graduands to utilize the available technology and opportunities, and create their own jobs since the job world has drastically changed.
“unlike our times when I graduated in 1979, there was a job waiting for me but these days there are no jobs, so you should appropriately use the skills we have given to work with others to start something which may be; a small business, a consultancy, a project there are so many opportunities around you have Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram you can utilize them there are a lot of people who are waiting for your service but if you have that old model where you think that a job will come to you, you will end up in disappointments,” he said.
Gyagenda said that IUIU has not trained the graduands to be bystanders but has instead deliberately given them academic and technical skills.
A total of 1,226 candidates, who are part of the over 2000 students who were supposed to graduate in December last year graduated.
607 (49.5) of these are female and 619 (50.5) were male, 704 of these are from the Main Campus Mbale, 467 from Kampala Campus, 46 from Female’s Campus and nine (9) are from Arua Campus.
126 were crowned with Masters Degrees, 25 with post graduate diplomas, 123 got certificates, 169 got undergraduate diplomas while, 783 graduated with under graduate Degrees.
69 students obtained First Class degrees, 516 got Second class Upper degrees, 312 got second class lower degrees while only 7 got pass degrees.
This time, the male students performed better than their female counterparts for example; out of the 69 First Class Degrees, only 28 were female while 41 were male. Both male and female equalized from the 516 Second Class Upper while 189 males got second class lower beating their female counterparts who had 123.
IUIU also graduated its first batch of 11 Hafidh (Quran Memorizers) and these are young children between 7 and 12 years, who were enrolled in 2019 with the help of $25000 which was donated to the University by Al-hajj Reno of the federal republic of Nigeria.
“Al hajji Reno has communicated to me that he is donating 3 classrooms and Wudhu area for the Quran Centre which we shall establish, to teach people Quran memorization and proper recitation (Taahfidh and Tilaawah),” he said.
Gyagenda told the congregation that the University, having consolidated the previous successes will systematically put more focus on establishing more Programmes in science and technology.
While officiating the function, Al-hajji Moses Ali, the First Deputy Prime Minister and a member of the University Council said the NRM government will continue to put together a peaceful environment which enables academic and talent growth.
He said government will continue to support higher learning institutions in a bid to fully integrate ICT with teaching and learning.
The University annually gives merit awards to best academic performers. This time, the University selected the best performers from both the 28th and the 29th graduation ceremonies.
The prince Badru Kakungulu Award was given to Lujja Abdallah Aziz of Bachelor of Library & Information Science (BLIS). Abdallah Aziz was the overall best student with CGPA of 4.77.
The Rector’s Award was scooped by two Computer Science students; Musau Abdullatif and Solimo Rajab, who developed electronic Farm Market application (e-farm Market app) to help connect farmer and buyer. This App enables farmers to obtain information on prices, good farming practices, weather forecast, placing orders for agricultural inputs, and available market opportunities.
The IUIU Alumni Award went to Mukite Claire, a student of Food Science and Nutrition. This award is given to the second best student with an Academic Excellence, moral uprightness and leadership capability. Clare scored First Class degree of 4.54 CGPA. Claire was a START HUB ambassador, an Innovative entrepreneurship academy that empowers students to start their own business.
Neumbe Mwajuma Mauna, of Environmental Science won the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) award. IICO award is given to the best female student with an academic excellence and moral uprightness. Neumbe scored a first Class degree of CGPA 4.54.
IUIU since its inception in February 10, 1988 has produced over 30,000 graduands in various disciplines, currently having 10,245 active students from 21 different countries with 87 different academic programs in seven (07) different faculties.
