Corporate
Ruparelia Group splashes Ushs2.5Bn on Victoria Varsity
Victoria University has also added beauty to Kampala’s skyline
Only four months after acquiring the hitherto struggling Victoria University, once one gets inside the varsity, he does not hear a noise from the many vehicles that pass by let alone the pedestrians and businesses around. This is one of the testimonies that one gets immediately he steps inside the varsity building.
Two of the five directors of the varsity, Dr Sudhir Ruparelia and Rajiv, took journalists on a guided tour of the inside of the campus recently. During the tour, the newsmen got a feel of the cosy atmosphere that learners study under. The promoters were accompanied by the varsity Vice Chancellor Dr Stephen Robert Isabalijja as well as the Academic Registrar Dr Michael Kakooza.
The journalists were able to see first hand the air conditioned and spacious lecture rooms, a modern reference library, a fully equipped and modern clinical skills laboratory, a state of the art computer lab and spacious students learning lecturer rooms.
Also worthy noting is that the varsity boasts of a spacious parking that can accommodate up to 800 cars at a go. What this essentially means is that learners do not have to incur extra costs on private parking and their cars are safe from thieves.
After the tour, Dr Sudhir revealed that he and his other five directors–Joytsna, Rajiv, Meera and Sheena, had invested Ushs2.5Bn to upgrade the varsity and are still counting.
The group has bought off and fenced off land that used to hold Gapco Petrol Station along Jinja Road in readiness to expand the varsity beyond the 3000 student population and will in future move the campus to where used to be CMI offices on Yusuf Lule Road.
Unveiling the new ultra modern varsity, Vice Chancellor Dr Isabalijja moved fast to dispel belief that their courses are costly.
“We promise and undertake to offer quality and competitive courses, but at affordable cost. In fact, our charges are and will remain pocket friendly. Offering quality education comes top on our priorities and earning money a distant secondary,” Dr Isabalijja asserted.
On quality education, Dr Isabalijja pointed out that Victoria University boasts of the crème de crème of lecturers that that can be found in the country.
On top of that, Dr Isabalijja added, their employers pay the best of salaries in the country to thwart their lecturers from moonlighting.
“We do not expect our lecturers to moonlight as it is the culture in other universities. They are well paid and motivated and so we expect them to give all their attention to our learners,” Isabalijja declared.
10 new competitive courses
Dr Isabalijja proudly revealed that the varsity had already received approval from the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) to offer ten new courses.
In the faculty of Business and Management, the new courses include a three year Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics as well as Bachelor of Business Banking and Finance.
He said this was in addition to four others courses, which include Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelors of Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Bachelor of Nursing Science which were already being offered at the University before it was acquired by the Ruparelia group.
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences has Bachelors of Public Administration and Management, of Social Work and Social Administration, of Journalism and Media Studies and of Human Resource Management all lasting for three years.
The Varsity has also been cleared to offer degree courses under its Science and Technology Department. The courses are Bachelors of Business in Information Systems, of Business Computing and of Information Technology.
Lucrative New Short Oil and Gas Courses
With the oil and Gas sector moving away from exploration to real business, Dr Isabalijja said the university has come up with unique and short courses in oil and gas to help Ugandans land lucrative jobs.
“We believe that Ugandans deserve the first priority when it comes to oil and gas. And here we are to offer them unique and practical skills to tap into the opportunities that comes with the natural resources,” Isabalijja said.
Kicking off this January and will last for eight months the Certificates are in Oil and Gas, in Oil and Gas Law, in Oil and Gas Environmental Management as well as in Oil and Gas Project Management.
Other shorter certificate courses on the menu include one in Public Health, Resource Mobilization for Health Professionals, Quality and Patient Safety Health as well as Customer Care for Health Professionals.
“The new courses have been designed to bridge the existing skills and employment gaps in the country by passing out graduates who are ready to either set up their own businesses or fill existing opportunities in the under-skilled sectors of our economy such as Public Health, Business Management, Science and Technology and Oil & Gas,” Isabalijja observed
Dr Isabalijja said that the University would leverage on both the financial strength of the Ruparelia Group as well as the in-group skills strengths to build on the 3 year foundation made by the founders of the university.
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