Yesterday, nearly 300 South Sudan based former students of Nkumba University convened at Dembesh Hotel in Juba, to reminisce about their heydays while at the higher institution of learning.
The event, attended by friends, family, and university officials, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Jude Lubega and Alumni Association President Mr. Jackson Ssonko, marked a significant step in the direction of the university’s expansion plans.
“The unity exhibited here today should be the same effort exerted to enable university management to consider expanding to South Sudan,” urged Deng David, a former Master’s student in International Relations and Diplomacy.
His sentiment resonated with the gathering, who unanimously endorsed the idea of establishing a Nkumba University campus in South Sudan.
In his address, Professor Jude Lubega revealed that the concept of a South Sudan campus dates back to 2013, when Dr. Anne Abaho and Deng approached him with the proposal. “Deng’s appeal to me was to start a campus in South Sudan, and I can now confirm that we are ready to start,” he announced, eliciting applause from the audience.
The Vice-Chancellor outlined plans to commence with six programmes leveraging the university’s robust ICT infrastructure. “We are moving toward starting a campus here in Juba, and given preliminary research, we will commence virtually with 6 programmes and when we open a physical campus, we will start with the School of Agriculture, School of Education, and the School of Computing.”
The annual gathering of Nkumba University’s South Sudan Alumni is a platform for former students to reflect on their academic experiences and explore ways to harness their achievements.
This year’s event marked a significant step forward, as the alumni collectively presented their vision for a South Sudan campus to the Vice-Chancellor, who nodded to the call.
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