By Obinna Osigwe

The Directorate of Grants and Partnership has announced the award of European Union funded Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant. The grant which is valid for 5 years allows 10 students and 10 staff from KIU to visit Ondokuz May?s University, Turkey, during these period.  Also, 10 students and 10 staff from Ondokuz May?s University, Turkey, will visit KIU.

For each visit that will last for 6 months and 2 - 6 weeks for students and staff respectively, the students are expected to study and explore the culture of Turkey, while the staff will teach, conduct research and develop joint publications with other scholars from Ondokuz May?s University. The students and staff from Ondokuz May?s University are expected to do the same during their stay in Uganda.

According to the Grant Office, this programme is for students from the following disciplines: Medicine & Surgery, Pharmacy, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Law, Business Administration, Economics and Education (sciences and Fine Art only). Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are given higher priority.

The objectives of the Erasmus Mobility Grant are to foster partnerships and enlarge them with universities that have similar research interests, and to establish mutually beneficial partnerships covering all three educational cycles as well as staff mobility and research-related actions. Furthermore, it aims to facilitate the international experience of students and staff and at the same time contribute to improved quality of education at both OMU and Kampala International University and internationalization in general.