Meeting between Dr. Casim Umba Tolo, Ph.D Director, ACE II- PHARMBIOTRAC Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU)

On the sidelines of the ongoing RUFORUM 6^th Biennial conference, UTAMU Team led by Prof. Jude T. Lubega and accompanied by Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe on 25^th October, 2018 held a meeting with Dr. Casim Umba Tolo, The Director, ACEII-PHARMBIOTRAC, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST).  The meeting was to discuss the implementation of the center of excellence at MUST in which UTAMU is a collaborator on ICT work package.

The ACEII-PHARMBIOTRAC at MUST is financed under the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence project “ACE II” and was selected through an open, objective, transparent, and merit-based competitive process. The beneficiaries of the project receive support from the World Bank, and its sole purpose is capacity advancement through graduate training in five regional priority areas: Industry, Agriculture, Health, Education and Applied Statistics. MUST was awarded to host one of the centres of Excellence referred to as “Pharm-BioTechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre (PHARMBIOTRAC)”. The centre aims at strengthening quality of postgraduate training in Eastern and Southern Africa in order to raise a critical mass of specialized and skilled human capital that can use multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to advance traditional medicine and Pharm-Biotechnology. Funding for the centre is tied to agreed results and is only disbursed for their achievement, ensuring stronger ownership and impact. The activities of PHARMBIOTRAC are implemented in collaboration with several other national, regional and international institutions with MUST as the lead implementing institution.

As a collaborator on this Project, UTAMU represented by Prof. Jude Lubega and Dr. Drake Patrick Mirembe, will oversee the implementation of the ICT work package with among others will include;

1. The develop of the ACE M&E framework and system
2. The design, implementation and operationalization the medicinal knowledge hub
3. Design and implementation of ICT skills development among ACEII-PHARMBIOTRAC stakeholders
4. Training and supervision of students working on research related to ICT
5. Management on ACEII-PHARMBIOTRAC e-stakeholder engagement and visibility

Among others.