The Mountains of the Moon University (MMU), is a public university in
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Founded as a private, non-profit institution, the university became a public institution following an executive directive in January 2018. It is named after the
Rwenzori Mountains
The Ruwenzori, also spelled Rwenzori and Rwenjura, are a range of mountains in eastern equatorial Africa, located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The highest peak of the Ruwenzori reaches , and the range ...
, also known as the
Mountains of the Moon.
Location
The university is located approximately , northeast of the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
of the city of
Fort Portal
Fort Portal or Kabarole is a city located in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Toro Kingdom.
Location
Fort Portal in Kabarole District is located approximately by road, west of Kampal ...
,
Kabarole District
Kabarole District is a district in Western Uganda. Kabarole District is part of the Kingdom of Toro. Its main town was Fort Portal before 1st July 2020 when it was elevated to a city, separating it from Kabarole district Government.
The new Kabar ...
, in
Western Uganda, approximately , by road, west of
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,680,000 and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Ruba ...
, Uganda's capital city. This location lies in the ''Kibundaire'' neighborhood, to the north of the
Fort Portal
Fort Portal or Kabarole is a city located in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and historically of the Toro Kingdom.
Location
Fort Portal in Kabarole District is located approximately by road, west of Kampal ...
-
Mubende
Mubende is a town in the Central Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mubende District and is the location of the district headquarters.
Location
Mubende is approximately , by road, west of Kampal ...
Road, immediately after the bridge, as you leave Fort Portal. The coordinates of the university campus are: 0°39'33.0"N, 30°16'31.0"E (Latitude:0.659167; Longitude:30.275278). A new campus is under construction at Lake Saaka, approximately , northwest of Fort Portal, along Saaka Road. The coordinates of the new campus are:0°41'15.0"N, 30°14'51.0"E (Latitude:0.6875; Longitude:30.2475).
History
After a long planning phase, the Mountains of the Moon University received the official license to become active as a University on March 29, 2005. The License was granted by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education. MMU is a Community Trust University and is a non profit organization. The trustees include the Local District Councils, the three main religious bodies and interested and supportive individuals. It has no specific affiliations.
In January 2018, the
president of Uganda
The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The president leads the executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander-in-chief of the Uganda People's Defence Force.
The in ...
directed that both
Busoga University
Busoga University (BU), is a private university in Uganda, affiliated with Central Busoga Diocese of the Church of Uganda.
Location
The main campus of Busoga University is located in the town of Iganga, approximately , by road, northeast of the ...
and MMU be included on the list of public universities effective in the 2018/2019 academic year.
On 1 June 2018, the university was granted a university charter by the
Uganda National Council for Higher Education
The Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE) is a semi-autonomous government regulatory agency, responsible for the regulation of higher education in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. UNCHE is also respon ...
(UNCHE).
Consequently, a Transition Task Force (TTF) was set up by the Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports. The TTF consists of experts including Professor John Massa Kasenene, Professor Pius Coxwell Achanga, Dr. Edmond Kagambe and Ms. Grace Nyakahuma. These were assigned to coordinate programs and activities to facilitate smooth transition of the university to a public institution.
Overview
MMU was established as a
service for the rural communities of Uganda.
Courses are structured to develop analytical and applied skills. All students undertake assessed field work during the 'recess term' which is presented using computer based technology at the start of the next semester. All students complete three hours of hands-on computer studies every week. The majority of courses can be taken as either a Weekend or an Evening option. This is designed to allow students to work and help to pay their way through their courses. The
Austrian Service Abroad
The Austrian Service Abroad is a non-profit organization founded by Andreas Hörtnagl, Andreas Maislinger and Michael Prochazka in 1998, which sends young Austrians to work in partner institutions worldwide serving Holocaust commemoration in f ...
has been active at the MMU since 2007.
The university has established a ''Centre for African Developmental Studies'', to study, research and create African knowledge and understanding, and suggest how this can be applied to inform development in an African context. MMU's ‘special approach’ will permit new ideas that effectively bridge between local cultures and broader developmental opportunities to be tried and tested, new development models to be synthesized and development competences to be identified and understood in a holistic framework. As well as integrating these ideas with current courses, the centre has established a Masters programme, undertaking research and establishing a Cultural and Historical Archive. All these areas of activity have strong potential for partnership between MMU and universities overseas.
Schools and directorates
There are multiple study programmes offered which generally include certificate, diploma and degree options. The academic courses on offer are organised under the following Schools:
*
School of Health Sciences
*
School of Informatics and Computing
*
School of Business and Management Studies
*
School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
*
School of Education
In the United States and Canada, a school of education (or college of education; ed school) is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences en ...
*
Directorate of Post Graduate Studies and Research
Public university
In September 2021, Parliament approved the takeover of the Mountains of the Moon University by the government. The university commenced full operations as a public university on 1 July 2022. At the time of becoming a
public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
, MMU has 265 approved staff positions (academic, administrative and support). Of these 170 positions (64 percent) were filled and 95 positions (36 percent) were unfilled, primarily due to lack of suitable applicants. At that time, a total of 2,450 students were registered, 150 of them on government scholarships.
Prominent alumni
*
Sylvia Rwabogo (b.12 May 1976),
Kabarole District Women Representative in the 10th Parliament (2016–2021)
See also
*
List of universities in Uganda
This is a list of top Private Universities in Uganda.
Private universities
Public universities
Military universities
Other degree-awarding institutions
See also
* Education in Uganda
* List of business schools in Uganda
* List of law sch ...
*
Uganda Pentecostal University
Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU), is a private university in Uganda.
Location
The Uganda Pentecostal University is located in the heart of Kabarole District, Fort Portal City, Uganda. It originated from the Grotius School of Law and Professio ...
*
List of business schools in Uganda
*
List of university leaders in Uganda
See also
* Education in Uganda
* List of universities in Uganda
* List of law schools in Uganda
* List of medical schools in Uganda
* List of business schools in Uganda
References
{{reflist, 30em
External links
Website of Uganda National C ...
References
External links
*
{{Kabarole District
Fort Portal
Kabarole District
Toro sub-region
2005 establishments in Uganda
Educational institutions established in 2005