Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU) has begun boundary marking on the Matugga – Kkungu Land which will house the main campus for the University.
UTAMU revealed its master plan and architectural design which shows outstandingly designed buildings with beautiful gardens and ample parking.
Architectural drawing for the building.
According to Prof. Venanisus Baryamureeba, Chairperson Board of Directors UTAMU, the university is starting with construction of the first three blocks.
In December 2019, UTAMU acquired 20.43 acres of land on Block 82 Plot 6 Kkungu, Matugga, Kyaddondo, Wakiso District on leasehold register of 49 years from the Kampala Catholic Archdiocese Land Board.
Architectural drawing for the building.
The UTAMU campus which is approximately 21 km from Kampala City Centre will house the largest Research and Innovation City in the region.
It will comprise of equipped buildings for the Central Administration, the Directorate for Coordination and Management of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, the School of Computing and Engineering, the School of Health Sciences and the School of Vocational and Science Education.
These schools will provide skills training and professional development in additional to directing and undertaking research and innovation.
Architectural drawing for the building.
Once the campus is completed, only the School of Business and Management (SBM) will remain in Kampala City Centre and the rest of the University will move to the new campus.
Prof. Baryamureeba says the Entrepreneurship ecosystem; which is the social and economic environment affecting entrepreneurship, will comprise of a startup ecosystem and an innovation ecosystem. “It is well known that businesses located within places serving as incubators for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship have a greater chance of success,” he says.
Architectural drawing for the building.
The startup ecosystem will have access to great ideas, access to talent, access to capital, and access to customers.
UTAMU also plans to construct excellent hostels for girls within the University campus which the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sadiq Yusuf says, “Is very important as it will enable the girl child to access secure education in a secure environment whether during the day or night.”
Prof. Sadiq also reveals that the campus shall be open to students and the public in 2021.
As the world is dealing with the health and economic challenges of COVID-19, Toskin Gregory, a cyber-security student at UTAMU has developed a COVID 19 contact tracing App to help in fighting COVID-19.
Left: Mr. Toskin Gregory, Founder Defining Technologies Limited.
According to Gregory, the CovidTracer App enables users to match the personal diary of location data on their smartphone with anonymized, redacted, and blurred location history of infected patients.
This tracing App alerts users and the Ministry of Health if someone has been in contact with a Covid-19 positive person.
Gregory developed this application under his company, Defining Technologies Limited, a technology-based firm that seeks to builds and offers digital solutions to help the normal Ugandan entrepreneur leverage his/her business into a strong position to survive in this digital era where technology plays a critical role.
With the rise of number of COVID 19 cases in Uganda, the company decided to donate the trace app to the Ministry of Health National Taskforce to help in fast tracking of contacts.
How the COVID 19 contact tracing app works
Explaining to the UTAMU news team on how the App works, Gregory said , “The digital contact tracing uses overlapped GPS and Bluetooth trails that allow an individual to check if they have crossed paths with someone who was later diagnosed positive for the virus.”
Through CovidTracer, public health officials are equipped to redact location trails of diagnosed carriers and thus broadcast location information with privacy protection for both diagnosed patients and local businesses.
About Toskin Gregory
Toskin Gregory is a young technopreneur and certified cyber security professional. He founded Defining Technologies Ltd in 2017. Raised from a Christian based family with three siblings. A student at Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU) and former prime minister in the Student Guild Government.
Read Full Interview HERE.
UTAMU Research and Innovation City (UTAMURIC), an umbrella Research and Innovation non-profit organization is offering start-up resources to young innovators and entrepreneurs: from start to finish.
This initiative targets the youth who are interested in starting a business or would want to improve on their existing businesses.
UTAMURIC has put in place a resource that currently has (business) start-up resources from start to finish. Details are found on the website: https://www.utamuric.org/resourcecentre.
In the coming days, UTAMURIC will be providing free talks on the above and UTAMU students and staff will be given priority.
These talks will be conducted via Video Conferencing and on other social media platforms like Facebook Live.
UTAMU has made research defenses easy and safe for all its final students. Both postgraduate and undergraduate dissertation defenses are being conducted purely online and in real time.
“We have an embedded video conference in our e-learning platform.”
Despite the COVID – 19 pandemic, UTAMU is growing stronger than ever thanks to its excellent and efficient eLearning platform. Teaching and learning is ongoing purely online for the newly admitted students of May 2020 Intake.
“We are keeping our doors of learning open despite this surge of COVID-19,” says Prof. Sadiq Yusuf, the Vice Chancellor of Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU).
“UTAMU has an established and robust eLearning system that allows distance / online teaching and learning but also we have experienced academic staff and an IT team competent enough to ensure quality online learning.”
UTAMU is the only university in Uganda that has successfully infused the teaching and learning processes with appropriate information and communications technologies.
From our undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, professional short courses to signature free personal development courses, UTAMU offers excellent all-round educational experience for learners from all walks of life.
Speaking to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. JWF Muwanga-Zake, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and Dean, School of Computing & Engineering at UTAMU, the university is currently running modular basis teaching and learning which allows students to study freely.
“The advantage of modular basis teaching and learning is that one can start a module anytime and complete it anytime.”
He further commended UTAMU staff for working virtually to ensure education continues regardless of the effects of COVID on the education system.
All UTAMU academic programmes are fully developed as e-learning modules designed to transform a student’s intellect and career prospects through experiential learning activities and digital technologies.
The University is still receiving students for the MAY 2020 Intake as well as September 2020 Intake.
UTAMU Research and Innovation City (UTAMURIC) is an umbrella Research and Innovation non-profit organisation that promotes research, innovation, business incubation and startups in Africa. Its head office is at Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU). UTAMU campus in Kkungu, Matugga, Kyaddondo, Wakiso District, which is 21 km from Kampala City Centre provided 20.43 acres of land for research, innovation, business development, business incubation and business startup activities in the region. UTAMURIC shall be the largest private research and innovation ecosystem player in Sub-Saharan Africa as per its rolling strategic plan for 2020-2030.
UTAMURIC provides an entrepreneurship ecosystem comprising a startup ecosystem and an innovation ecosystem. It comprises of players that support each other from idea generation through the entire value chain to business sustainability. The UTAMRIC entrepreneurial ecosystem model focuses on different players in the entrepreneurship space such as potential or existing entrepreneurs, organizations that support entrepreneurship, venture capitalists, business angels and banks, as well as institutions like universities, and public sector agencies. There is no doubt that with such an ecosystem, start-up firms within and those linked to it will have a greater chance of success. It is well known fact that businesses located within places serving as incubators for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship have a greater chance of success.
"UTAMURIC startup and innovation ecosystem has access to great ideas, access to talent, access to capital, and access to customers."
UTAMURIC continues to register and update its database of Partners, Mentors, Researchers, Innovators, Software Developers, Certified Professionals, Business Incubators, and Business Startups. If you or your organisation falls under any of the above categories register now to commence a long term relationship with UTAMURIC.