Lars Arne Jensen, the Programme Manager Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) in charge of East Africa, has challenged Gulu University to ensure that all activities and programmes that have been supported by DANIDA through the BSU project–from the first to the third phase–are kept running as the project prepares to enter into the fourth phase.
Jensen, on November 7, 2022, held separate meetings with the Gulu University Vice Chancellor Prof. George Openjuru Ladaah, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of academic affairs Prof. David Okello Owiny, and the BSU project management and implementing teams to discuss the current status as well as future prospects for the project, especially as the third phase comes to an end.
BSU at Gulu started in 2011 and has had a remarkable decade of building individual and institutional capacity for the university — supporting human resource development (including PhD training), establishing new academic programmes, and putting in place the necessary infrastructure and arrangements to support research, teaching and learning.
“We consider BSU to be a very successful project – from the donor side. BSU III is phasing out but it does not mean it is dying. The challenge for Gulu University is to keep all things running – all the good things that have come out of BSU should be kept running. You can do that through BSU IV,” said Jensen while addressing BSU project managers and implementers.
Jensen (l) during a meeting with BSU project managers and implementers
BSU III was planned to end in 2021 but due to disruptions, especially brought about by COVID-19, it has been extended up to December 2023. BSU IV is expected to start by mid-2023.
“I encourage you to sit down as a team and work out how to manage the remaining part of the project [BSU III]. In BSU IV, it may be good to sit with the university management in the planning of the sustainability of these things,” he added.
Jensen stressed the importance of dissemination and uptake of research results, urging the university to come up with a dissemination strategy.
He congratulated the VC upon the renewal of his contract for another five-year term.
“The University Management has done well in the implementation of BSU. We are happy to continue with you [as the project’s Principal Investigator (PI)],” he said to the VC.
Prof. Openjuru (l) speaks to Jensen (r) during a meeting. Looking on are BSU Coordinator Dr. Agatha Alidri (next to Prof Openjuru) and Assoc. Prof. Charles Nelson Okumu, the BSU Chairperson
