» Leased line for Ugandan university

University to provide remote education across country

A Ugandan university is utilising a leased line connection in order to stream lectures to campuses across the country. Makerere University, which is based in Kampala, has signed a five-year deal with Uganda Telecom to provide educational resources for students away from the main campus.

Makerere University currently teaches 35,000 students, although the central facility of the 88-year-old university only accommodates 5,100 individuals. The leased line connection will facilitate the education of students in the newly constructed Fort Portal and Jinja campuses, allowing lectures to be streamed live across the country.

The new centres, which open in February, have been fitted with state-of-the-art computer and video conferencing equipment. It is hoped the high-speed leased line connection will allow students to continue their studies without the need to travel to the main university campus.

"This project is going to help us bring Makerere University to the people," said Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, vice chancellor at the university.

"In essence, people outside Kampala will no longer need to come to the main campus for education, but can receive the same high quality education nearer to them."

Depending on the success of the project, the university hopes to construct a learning centre, which is also set to be serviced with a leased line connection, in Eastern Kenya.

"As a premier corporate citizen, it is our responsibility to participate in the development of the community in which we do business," said Eng. AbdulBasset Elazzabi, the managing director of Uganda Telecom.