Graduates need more than academic excellence – Bitamazire

UMI chancellor and Ex-minister Namirembe Bitamazire

Bitamazire, made the remarks while presiding over the 13th graduation ceremony at UMI in Kampala recently.

Bitamazire told graduates that they must demonstrate not just their academic skills and knowledge, but also their emotional intelligence, excellent work ethics, a positive attitude, creative thinking and attentiveness.

She said: “Your performance in the real World will give evidence that you have mastered your area of study. Your employers and Society in general will expect from you practical solutions to their challenges despite the local and existing contextual circumstances.”

“You have been empowered to excel and become ambassadors reflecting quality education and training as indicated by your Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates. Therefore go and excel in whatever you do and make a difference in peoples’ lives by your contribution to social economic development in the Country,” she added.

Bitamazire addressed the current debate about the relevance of Uganda’s education to the job needs of the graduates by saying that the government needs to address the skills gap.

Bitamazire paid tribute to UMI for excelling in the provision of post experience education and training programmes which address problem in areas such as leadership, management, administration, research and consultancy which engage in intensive and rigorous academic and also in practical activities and programmes which she said positively impact the products  of the Institute.

Bitamazire said that UMI is responding to the growing need for the development of creative and innovative human capital by developing new courses at Masters and Postgraduate levels, that UMI is looking a head and visualizing what they future development of the National and Regional Social and economic sectors will require in terms of skills and academic knowledge following the revolutions in ICT, labour market demands.

James Nkata, Director of UMI said this year the institute graduated 2,147 students who were awarded first degrees, masters degrees, postgraduate diplomas, ordinary diplomas and certificates.

Nkata said that out of the total number of graduates 1,032 were women representing 48%, while  1,115 representing 52% were male.

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