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SOROTI — Prof. Francis Omaswa has been installed as the first Chancellor of Soroti University at a ceremony presided over by Vice President Jessica Alupo.
Established by Statutory Instrument in 2015, and ascending to the heights as Uganda’s 9th public University, Soroti University has also been declared a fully-fledged Public University joining the likes of MUNI, Gulu and Busitema.
There are over 43 universities in Uganda, 11 of those are public; including Soroti University.
President Yoweri Museveni in his speech read by Maj. Alupo who is also Woman Member of Parliament for Katakwi district, congratulated Omaswa for accepting to be the Chancellor of Soroti University.
Prof. Omaswa has over the years earned distinguished honours as a global and International executive who has served in different capacities, including the Global Health Workforce Alliance.
According to his bio, Prof Omaswa is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, founding president of the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, and a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public.
He is graduate of Makerere Medical School, Kampala, Uganda and once served as Director General of health services in Ministry of health.
President Museveni said he has known Omaswa for quite a long time and that together, they had accomplished many things for the benefit of the Country.
“Today is yet another milestone in our working time together and I have no doubt, he will lead Soroti University to even greater heights,” Museveni said.
He said a university has a central agent to national transformation and renewal, has many roles and responsibilities, many partners and serves many constituencies, therefore, he noted, “the university must guide and shape students to be the creative and productive for the future of our country”.
President Museveni also said that the university has further responsibilities; to be a place which provides opportunities for lifelong learning; not only to graduates but also to those who never had the opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning.
“The university has the ultimate responsibility of constructively contributing to national policies to address grave national development needs”, he remarked.
He noted that Prof. Francis Omaswa’s assumption of this high and prestigious office at this particular time in our country’s transformation and indeed the transformation of the university is significant.
The president explained that the Peace and security ushered in over the last 35 years has seen government commit resources to ensure that Ugandans work in a safe environment.
“As a result of peace and stability ushered in by the government, institutions, including Soroti University have been able to peacefully undertake their activities”, the President said, adding that Our development depends on having skilled people in leadership positions”.
Museveni acknowledged that many Ugandans are up against many challenges; that many have to study, teach and research under conditions that are far from ideal, but, he added, transformation includes making the most of the limited opportunities available without compromising quality and excellence.
The President pledged committment to seeing Soroti University continue to prosper as one of the leading higher education institutions in this country and urged academicians and planners of this University to look into human resource gaps in our country and select courses that are useful and attractive in the market and must be science based.
“This is how we shall solve the problem of unemployment in the country and be more relevant in the job market”, he added.