Islamic university in Uganda

Overview The Islamic University in Uganda is an International University that is owned by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). This organisation has a number of member countries of which Uganda is one. Uganda hosts the University on behalf of the OIC and thus, it is a diplomatic mission of sorts. Although the Government of Uganda exercises a level of control over it, the University Council is the main controlling organ. The government of Uganda has 5 members on this council. The University was established by act of parliament, the Islamic University in Uganda Statute No. 8 of 1990, which was passed into law by the Parliament of Uganda, and is the only one after Makerere to be established as thus. Therefore, contrary to common belief, the Islamic University in Uganda is not a private university. Recognition of the University’s graduates need not be mentioned given the consistent quality assurance that the university has maintained over the years, since its inception in 1988. Establishment of the University The Islamic University in Uganda was established by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to promote and to protect Islamic civilization in Africa. It was mandated to concentrate on the English speaking countries of Africa. It began teaching on 10th February 1988 with a modest student population of 80 who registered in the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language and the Faculty of Education. Today, the University has over 2290 students in five Faculties, the Centre For Postgraduate Studies, and the Remedial Studies Programme. The Kampala Campus offers a variety of degree and diploma courses. The University has 200 full-time and part-time lecturers. The staff and the students have come from different countries in Africa. The number of graduates produced by the University since its inception is over 3,000, three of whom are holders of the Doctorate degree. The faculties are Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Management Studies, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Arts of Social Sciences. Achievements of the University The University was established with noble objectives that are clearly stated in the Islamic University in Uganda Statute No. 8 of 1990, which was passed into law by the Parliament of Uganda. A summarized version of the mission of the University is this: The mission of the Islamic University in Uganda is to produce well cultured believing graduates of sound character, equipped with useful skills and knowledge and are able to participate positively in the development of their countries. It is a credit to the University that the institution has already started to discharge its mission positively. The graduates that the University has produced have come from different countries including Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Rwanda, Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Mali. In all the places that IUIU graduates have operated, they were well received on account of their social discipline and professional training. Quality is a key issue in IUIU handling of students’ affairs. IUIU would rather produce fewer students of high quality than produce second-rate graduates in large numbers. This is one of the reasons why it has been restricting the number of students that it admits each year. Before the Islamic University in Uganda was established, Muslims in Uganda were only thinly represented in both the public and the private sectors.            IUIU Faculties 1.The Faculty of Islamic Studies & Arabic Language 2.The Faculty of Law 3.The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences 4.Faculty of science The Faculty of Science was established to provide training to students in areas of Biological, Physical sciences. It later expanded to include Computer Science, which has rapidly grown to become the largest Department. The following Courses: Bachelor of Science (Botany Zoology) Bachelor of Science (Physics Mathematics) Bachelor of Environmental Studies Bachelor of Computer Science Bachelor of Information Technology Diploma in Computer Science & Information Technology. Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science & Information Technology Certificate in Library and Records Management. Diploma in Library and Records Management 5.Faculty of education Faculty of Education is the largest Faculty in the University. It was established in 1988 with the aim of producing Graduate Teachers in Science and Arts courses. It started with 40 arts student teachers and in 1990, science students were admitted. In 1995, under the restructuring exercise it became independent. Thus it runs only professional courses. Presently, it has 4 departments namely; Educational Management and Administration, Educational Psychology, Foundations of Education and, Curriculum and Instruction. The faculty enjoys a high academic status because of its products that are well placed at various levels in the labor market in the teaching profession. The mode of service delivery has been widened to meet the needs of a wide range of clients with the introduction of Evening, Weekend and Holiday/Distance programs and Computer studies. A wide range of programs in professional education make the faculty competitive. The faculty regularly organizes pedagogical skills workshops meant to improve the teaching skills of university staff. The faculty has a fully equipped computer laboratory. The Islamic University in Uganda Education Students’ Association (I.U.E.S.A) also organizes workshops routinely meant to enrich students’ teaching skills. 6. Faculty of management studies The Faculty of Management Studies was established 1990. It was one of the earliest after FISAL and Education. It offers courses mainly in business studies and management. The courses include: Bachelor of Business Studies. Bachelor of Public Administration. Bachelor of Business Computing. Masters of Public Administration. Masters of Business Administration Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Mgt. Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration The Faculty also handles some consultancy work on an adhoc basis, mainly in management advisory services. It also handles specialized training in use of computer based information systems for management applications.