President Museveni has been recognised with Makerere University’s Outstanding Scholarly Authorship Award.
According to the Makerere University publications office, the award was handed over to the President by the University Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma during the first session of the 69th Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday.
The President was recognized for authoring Katondoozi, the first ever Runyankore-Rukiga Thesaurus in the sub-Saharan region.
Thereafter, President Museveni urged graduands to ‘try music or comedy’ in case they fail to get jobs and ‘not to lose hope because they can work in many disciplines’.
Students from the colleges of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Education and External Studies (CEES) and Health Sciences (CHS) were recognised.
“Those of you who have progressed in Social Science courses, some should focus on management, and other disciplines like accountancy while others can be artistes, musicians, these people like my MP Kato Lubwama who make people laugh,” said Museveni.
The President however, also encouraged students that graduated in courses with little chances of getting jobs, not to be discouraged after all they are educated. “If you fall in the category where it’s too hard to get a job, like historians – you know the date when Columbus arrived in America – such jobs are not here in Uganda. We have jobs for management not for telling us Columbus. However, don’t worry you are educated which is the best achievement,” said Museveni, who also hailed Makerere Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe and his staff for the tough decisions they made to discipline rowdy staff.
Job well done
“I thank Nawangwe with his team for being decisive and discipline lectures. It is very embarrassing to see a so called lecturer in court for raping a young girl and is still teaching,” said Museveni
Museveni said that although Prof Nawangwe comes from a very remote area, he has performed better than those who claim to come from urban areas. He also urged him to continue exercising disciplinary actions. “We don’t want indiscipline, or crimes in Makerere University we shall fight decadence in this institute,” said Museveni.
Prof Nawangwe congratulated the graduands and asked them not to waste time and the resources in making parties but rather plan for the life after graduation parties.
About 13,000 students are to be graduated in the 69th graduation ceremony which is going to take four days from Tuesday 15th to Friday 18th.
On Wednesday, students from Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) and Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB) will graduate while on Thursday, students from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) will be recognised. The 69th graduation ceremony will end on Friday, with graduating students from colleges of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) and School of Law (LAW).
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