News and Events

IUIU Signs MoU with StartHub Africa

• 06th March, 2023 6:47pm

On 6^th March 2023, the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with StartHub Africa. The MoU aims to leverage the experience and expertise of either party, in creating and nurturing an entrepreneurship culture amongst IUIU students. The Rector, Professor Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda and the University Secretary, Counsel Sewankambo Hamza, signed on behalf of IUIU. While Mr Matthias Mobius, Co-Founder StartHub Africa and Mr Henry Wanume, the University Engagement Lead, signed on behalf of StartHub Africa. Also present at the signing ceremony was, Dr Umar Yahya, the Head of IUIU’s Motion Analysis Research Laboratory (MARL).

The objectives of the MoU shall be realized through joint activities including hands-on training programs in entrepreneurship, the design and review of programs and curricular components to emphasize entrepreneurship, the setting up and managing of IUIU’s Incubation Centre, annual hackathons and pitching events through which IUIU’s students will benefit from the Nation-wide Entrepreneurship opportunities, among others. Speaking at the ceremony, the Rector highlighted how this partnership is crucial to realising the much-needed academia-society integration. “I think Education institutions seem to continue handling students as a people detached from the realities of society, something that I believe needs changing. I wish to see a student culture in which students actively engage in activities to solve our real-world societal problems, even while they are still in academic settings”, said the Rector, Professor Ismail.  The StartHub Co-Founder thanked the University for agreeing to go into this MoU citing that Universities are still crucial to building any sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem. “I always see Universities as a place where new ideas continue to emerge, and I think all that is needed is a platform through which these ideas find their application in the real world, something that this MoU will aim to achieve”, said Mr Matthias.

StartHub Africa (NGO) and SHA Consulting Group Limited form together StartHub Africa, a hybrid-social venture with the vision to unlock the potential of change makers to create innovative and scalable businesses across Africa. They currently have active engagements and operations in Uganda and Tanzania, and IUIU is now the 8^th University in Uganda to partner with StartHub Africa at this MoU level.