NTU launch exchange partnership with Makerere University

Erasmus+ funding enables staff and students from Makerere University to undertake a two-month exchange programme at Nottingham Trent University (NTU).

NTU and Makerere University in Uganda have established a strong and trusted partnership over the last 10 years and are now launching an exchange programme.

Makerere University staff and students were welcomed to NTU on Monday 24 June with a drinks reception hosted by the Global team.

The undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff from Makerere University, who arrived at the beginning of June, have taken part in a two-month exchange programme, which focuses on research training for global health at NTU. In exchange, NTU have provided an opportunity for postgraduate student, Vincent Michael Tafadzwa Bodzo, who has just returned from a 3-month study period in Uganda working on an anti-microbial resistance project that the partnership is currently working on in collaboration with NTU Microbiology, Buckinghamshire NHS Trust and MU’S School of Pharmacy.

As part of the reception, visitors from the School of Public Health in Makerere University received a welcome address from Professor Cillian Ryan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (International), followed by Dr Linda Gibson, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences and project lead for the continuing exchange programme.

Dr Linda Gibson discussed the project, including the work undertaken by both parties leading up to the successful bid and the long-standing partnership between Makerere University and NTU. Dr Linda Gibson said, “Mobility between the partners and particularly from Uganda has, until this grant, been a challenging aspect of our partnership and this allows us to extend our work substantially and give opportunities to staff and students from both universities to work together. We know this will reap rewards for our future collaborations.” Dr David Musoke is the project lead at Makerere University and responded to Linda’s talk by highlighting the work undertaken and the strength of the partnership.

The exchange project is designed to embed mobility within our partnership in a more systematic way to promote internationalisation and enhance opportunities for our colleagues, early career researchers and students to acquire the perspectives and experience needed to succeed in the global health academic and work community.

In 2018, NTU was awarded Erasmus+ funding for International Credit Mobility (ICM), which is a project that allows NTU staff and student mobility between programme countries (in the EU) and partner countries (outside of the EU).  NTU was awarded 145,000 Euros for the duration of the two-year project.

The staff from Makerere University that will undertake the exchange programme include Dr David Musoke, Ms Edwinah Atusingwize and Mr Abdullah Ali Halage. The students shared their positive thoughts and experience of Nottingham so far as part of the reception. Those taking part in the exchange project are Faith Atai, George Oryongatum, Jacquellyn Nambi Ssanyu and Job Morukileng. Dr Mathew Nyashanu, and Dr Penny Siebert from NTU will be travelling to Uganda in August this year.

Both universities are planning to provide further mobility opportunities to NTU colleagues and students in 2020.

Dr David Musoke, Ugandan lead of the Partnership, Makerere University, School of Public Health.

Dr David Musoke addresses NTU colleagues and students from Makerere University.