Makerere University on Friday April 5, 2013 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bar-Ilan University of Israel

DSC_3551-1000Makerere University on April 5, 2013 signed an MoU with Bar-Ilan University of Israel to collaborate in areas of joint research, student and staff exchanges. Bar-Ilan University was represented by Professor Benjamin Ehrenberg, the Director in charge of Research at the university.

He was accompanied by his wife Ms Varda Ehrenberg.  The MoU was signed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (AA) on behalf of the Vice Chancellor.

Professor Benjamin Ehrenberg and his wife visited CEDAT on Friday at 9:30 before the signing of the MoU. They were received by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (F&A), Principal of the college, Deans and Heads of Department.

Bar-Ilan University is interested in collaborating with CEDAT, CONAS and CHS. Prof. Ehrenberg told the CEDAT administration that they are interested mainly in areas of Engineering, health and actual sciences. In Bar-llan University, the following academic units will be part of the collaboration: Faculty of Exact Sciences; Faculty of Life Sciences; Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering. This is why he visited CEDAT to get a clear understanding of what research we are engaged in.

He was impressed by the research in Transportation technologies and he shared with the administration some of the transportation research Bar-Ilan is engaged. He shared with the group pictures of an electronic car that a professor in his university has assembled and pointed out that this would be a good area of collaboration. The car used Aluminium batteries invented by the professor of chemistry. This research / car was appreciated by President Obama on his visit to Israel. This, Prof. Ehrenberg pointed out could be the starting poin of our collaboration.

DSC_3626-1000He shared a list of his faculty and the research they are engaged in so that staff of Makerere can identify areas and persons to collaborate with. Prof. Ehrenberg emphasised that the collaboration envisaged is one to benefit both universities.

On his part, the Principal, Assoc. Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, thanked the visiting Professor for choosing to collaborate with Makerere and CEDAT in particular. He gave a presentation about CEDAT, its research agenda, the areas of research staff are involved in, the different innovation projects and the direction that the college intends to go to. He emphasized the need for the college to assume a central position in Uganda’s industrialisation, a reason he gave for the continued research emanating from the college.

Prof. Tickodri detailed for Prof. Ehrenberg the research that the Centre for Research in Transportation Technologies is involved in. He talked him of the Kiira EV and the inspiration (need for green technologies and reduction in emissions) that inspired his team to make the Kiira EV. He informed the visitors that the project team was now working on a bus that will address the problem of public transport. The two professors agreed to collaborate in the area of transportation.

Mr George Piwang Jalobo, the person behind the collaboration informed the team in College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology the that when the Task Force headed by Professor Francis Omaswa visited Bar-llan University, Israel to seek collaborators, Professor Benjamin Ehrenberg and Professor Francis Omaswa discussed the plan by the World Bank to provide funding aimed at establishing centres of excellence in Africa.

“If Makerere and Bar-llan University collaborate, Makerere University would be in position to compete for the World Bank Project when the call for proposals is made,” he said.

In addition, this collaboration will enable Makerere University to access state-of-the art-research facilities at Bar-llan University.

The visiting professor and his wife where taken on a tour of CEDAT, after the discussions of the collaborations. They visited the Computer lab on Level 2, the Telecommunications Lab and the Environmental Engineering Lab on the ground floor.  From here they visited CRTT to see the Kiira EV and finally CREEC.

To see more photos, please visit the CEDAT Gallery here

Attachments

Attachment Name Attachment Type
MoU Signed with Bar-Ilan University DOC PDF PS