Nkumba University officially unveiled the Chancellor’s innovation initiative last week on Thursday 24th February 2022. The Chancellor’s Innovation initiative is being developed to spur innovation for purposes of bringing together multiple stakeholders interested in nurturing innovation and creating employment.
While speaking at the Nkumba University 24th graduation ceremony on Saturday, Mr. Emmanuel Katongole, the Nkumba University Chancellor announced a personal contribution of $10,000 (about UGX 35 million) towards the innovation fund.
“We want to provide a platform for more opportunities and mentorship of students to make sure there are more young people involved in the innovation ecosystem. To kick off this innovation fund, I’ll put in a personal contribution of a humble $10,000.” Katongole said.
He further vowed to reach out to the corporate world to see that Ugandan young people are given jobs and other opportunities.
The initiative is also aimed at contributing to the reduction of the net import of products and services, especially where the competence exists. The Chancellor’s innovation initiative is a first step to light fires within the education sector positioning Nkumba University as a pioneer that it is and in search for bold ideas.
The overall objective of the initiative is to raise awareness of the importance of innovations, to support and encourage innovators to actively and collaboratively contribute to the transformation of the economy of Uganda.
Solutions will be expected to come from anyone and anywhere at the University. Every year the initiative will identify, promote and celebrate the researchers, students, faculty, entrepreneurs, tinkerers among us making a difference.
The award will be in service to the students and faculty so they can be in service to society. This programme shall seek to lift the students and faculty’s ideas so that together we can envision the future we want to create.
The CII will engage students, faculty and employees at Nkumba University within a framework that supports innovative thinking, scaling, and research that deepens both existing and new innovations to provide creative and cutting-edge solutions to counter challenges in sectors of national priority.
Nkumba University has partnered with Stanbic Bank, Business Incubator, and The Innovation Village to see that this initiative succeeds.
