and a willingness to learn, de-learn and relearn. Any strategic plan, however robust, requires teams that are willing to foster innovation, change and transformation amidst some of the most unpredictable and challenging seasons. In this issue we celebrate the growing and steady CIU talent and as we look to the future—which seems hazy and unknown for the education sector—our teams continue to explore and define a path not just to recovery but one that will help guide the university towards achievement of its established vision: A values-based institution that inspires leadership, critical thinking, innovation, and outstanding academic training that transforms communities.
VC Editorial
By Rose Clarke Nanyonga
In March this year, the leadership teams met once again to review what is working in the continuing disrupted and constantly changing new normal. And as we reflected on what we have achieved this year, we were cognizant of the fact that it has not been sunny all year, but our collective positive attitude and mindset has resulted in better ideas as we continued to commit our work and talent to the future of CIU. I invite you to share in some of our notable achievements in this issue.
Rose Clarke Nanyonga, Ph.D.
Vice Chancellor
2
LEAD INNOVATE TRANSFORM
“
When schools were closed in March of 2020 as part of the Covid-19 public health measures, the Leadership Teams, and Staff at CIU reinforced and sustained one critical variable that has withstood the covid-related chaos, fear, and disruption—Attitude! If you want to transform something you need a team with the right mindset, with a can-do attitude,
“
pg.06
pg.12
pg.16
pg.04
pg.18
CONTENTS
01
TABLE OF
CIU Highlights: Teaching and Learning ........................................................... pg.04 Fostering Academic Continuity During Covid-19 ........................................ pg.06 Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga Named 100+ Outstanding Nurse ................. pg10 (YONM) Keeping CIU Accountable to Our Vision ........................................................... pg.11
02
Revamping our School of Business and Applied ........................................ pg.12 Technology - Meet the new SOBAT team First Virtual Graduation ......................................................................................... pg.15 Graduation Pictorial ................................................................................................. pg.16
03
Alumni Turned MP .................................................................................................... pg.18 Dr.Rose Clarke Nanyonga Earns Arkansas Tech Hall of .......................... pg.19 Distinction’ s Highest Honor. CIU: The End of An Academic Year: June 25th, 2021................................... pg.20
A publication of: Clarke International Univeristy 3
CIU
HIGHLIGHTS “There are no shortcuts to success. Know your vision and keep at it. Do not give up on your dream, regardless of what people may say.” She said, as she encouraged young academicians to also follow suit and make their contribution to the body of science.
Dr. Catherine Nassozi Lwanira (PhD) Completes PHD in Medical Biochemistry. By Daphne Bukirwa
4
Dr.Nassozi Lwanira is a Lecturer and an established researcher in the field of Medical Biochemistry. She has been a lecturer at CIU since 2009, where she teaches Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Dr. Nassozi says her desire to peruse a Ph.D came from her yearning to contribute and build knowledge toward the Biochemistry/Chemistry body of work by doing research. Some of the individuals that have inspired and spoke this calling for her include: Professor. Kironde, the Dean of the School of Medicine at Islamic University of Uganda (IUIU), and Prof. Gote Swedberg from Sweden. They both supervised her study and encouraged and pushed her to complete her research. As a wife and mother, Dr. Nassozi says she found that completing a Ph.D requires an enormous amount of social support. She credits a lot of her success to her family especially her husband, who supported her when she felt emotionally drained and alone. She also found support from her peers and her CIU family. In particular the Vice Chancellor Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, and Professor Okiria were very instrumental in getting her to the end of the road.
Dr. Nassozi’s Ph.D thesis focused on studies of the influence of human genetic variations on incidence of uncomplicated malaria among children living in malaria vaccine trial villages in Iganga district, Uganda. She found a high prevalence of sickle cell trait (26.6%) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) A- variant (22.7%) among the children. She also found that the heterozygous nitric oxide synthase 2 variant (NOS2 -954 G>C) was associated with lower incidence of acute malaria infections in children aged 0.5 to 9 years. These findings are important for guiding health provider awareness of the potential for hemolytic anemia during medication or clinical trials and of the need for community education on hemoglobinopathies. The
study was supported by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement N° 242095 (EVIMALAR), Sida/SAREC–Makerere University Cooperation grants and the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) under grant no. IP.2007.3110.001.The study was supervised by Prof. Fred Kironde and Prof. Göte Swedberg.
in Infectious Diseases in East Africa at the Center for Effective Global Action, University of Berkeley, United States. His research interests include HIV, TB, multi-morbidity, and impact evaluation. He has expertise and experience in the design of systematic reviews and meta-analysis, impact evaluation, and observational epidemiological studies.
Dr. Johnathan
His statistical and methodological proficiency includes generalized linear modeling, mixed-effects and multi-level modeling, generalized estimating equations, survival analysis, propensity-score matching, regression discontinuity design, and difference-in-differences analyses among others.
completes PhD
He largely works in Stata, R, and Epi-Data. He trained in public health research and teaching at the Institute of Public Health, Heidelberg University, Germany.
Izudi
By Daphne Bukirwa Jonathan Izudi, MPH, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Institute of Public Health and Management, Clarke International University since 2017. He is a D43 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in HIV and co-infections at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, and 2021 Visiting EASST (East African Social Sciences Translation) Research Fellow
He has published at least 30 articles in international peer-reviewed journals on TB, HIV, maternal health, and COVID-19. He received a doctorate in public health from Mbarara University of Science and Technology as a DAAD scholar.
LEAD . INNOVATE . TRANSFORM 5
Fostering Academic Continuity
The CIU Experience
By Dr. Rose C Nanyonga
In recent months higher education institutions (HEIs) have come to terms with the fact that education, as we have traditionally delivered it, cannot be sustained under the current circumstances imposed on us by the Covid-19 pandemic. Clarke International University (CIU), like many other HEIs, has strived to uphold its mission by sustaining the rigor of academic training despite challenging circumstances requiring the University to adjust our teaching, learning, engagement and assessment practices. The recent approval and implementation of Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) offers a great opportunity for academic continuity. However, ODeL systems require a great deal of investment at the university as well as at the individual (teaching faculty, staff and students) and family levels (parents and guardians). The level of investment and readiness at CIU has been made possible by an engaged and committed leadership and a willingness of staff and students to undertake ODel as guided by the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE). In addition, majority of the capacity building and Covid readiness training activities have been supported by the Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI-SHSSU). At the university level, we have bolstered our ICT infrastructure and capacity to support the delivery of ODeL. Academic Staff and other Academic Resource persons have undergone extensive training and retraining to ensure high 6
level of competencies for Teaching for Learning, Assessment for Learning and Student Engagement via customized learning management system and other web conferencing tools. Students and teaching staff have been supported with data. And recognizing and engaging parents and guardians as part of the virtual learning network has been key in securing some quick wins and buy-in. Although CIU is not new to online learning we have been keenly aware that this process requires us to be agile and open to change; and that the change itself is not going to be easy. Some key lessons are emerging as we continue to streamline our academic operations, and these may be helpful for partner institutions who are thinking of or are in the process of implementing ODeL. First, we are learning that one size does not fit all, and that teaching faculty are going to learn and adopt new teaching norms at different paces. Along with prioritizing the slogan of “no student should be left behind”, it is crucial to remember that academic staff need to be active participants in leading the digital academic revolution. It is safe to say that students will be left behind if the teaching faculty are left behind. Earlier on in the ODeL strategic meetings I posed a question: the class have moved, but have we? The answers we varied. Some resounding no’s and a few and reluctant yeses. Not to be one for discouragement, I posed another question: how do we ignite transformation? In exploring reservations
about ODeL, we discovered that some teaching faculty viewed ODeL as a significant barrier to diverse learning experiences and were keen to explore ways to maintain their traditional pedagogy through virtual means. Others viewed ODeL as adding “too much work” to their already full schedule. Learning the new learning management system (CIULMS) presented its own set of challenges. The successful utilization
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT | HUMANIZE THE VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE Students need to be active participants in the quality, breadth and depth of their learning and engagement. At CIU we are learning that success in the virtual learning environment is directly related to how present and engaged both the lecturers and the students are in the virtual classroom. Gannon (2020) posits that “What happens with and between professors and students in the classroom — physical or online — remains the heart of the education enterprise” A fair amount of time is needed to
of the eLearning system relies on identifying key adoption factors and challenges impacting both students and faculty. In addition, tracking key factors that are shaping the successful adoption of new learning systems is important in informing future orientation and capacity building strategies.
adapt learning content for online delivery, however, access to learning content, however, good and of quality, is not enough to foster a successful learning experience. Student satisfaction surveys indicate that students still need to engage with their lectures and will rate the overall experience of online learning as poor if the lecturer has made no effort to engage beyond posting learning content and assessments. We encourage lecturers to establish their own online presence—the extent to which you form connections and respond to your students throughout the semester. (Kilis and Yildirim, 2019)
7
MANAGING THE TRANSITIONS
With the recent re-opening of universities and other sectors, it has become apparent, if it weren’t before, that we live in a time-starved environment, driven by the perpetual need to evolve, learn new skills, and acquire new knowledge and competencies. It is justifiably easy to feel overwhelmed when dealing with additional change-demands in such a context. However, both the biological and moral reality of this pandemic has forced us all to confront the cynical calculation and misguided belief held earlier in the year that somehow Covid-19 will be over soon and things will go back to normal. Well celebrated and longstanding traditional cultures of face-2-face instruction, student engagement and assessment are directly tied to the university prestige and success record, but, as I have emphasized to our teaching faculty, they can also be used as a barrier in achieving ODeL objectives or attaining the digital competencies of a new era. ODeL has changed the dynamics of how we operate, and change management is needed at both personal and institutional levels. Clearly, the simultaneous effort of managing change while executing the required duties is daunting. The CIU strategy has focused on encouraging a steady pace as well as the utilization of supporting structures and Champions for targeted on-going training. Even if lecturers and professors are tech savvy, learning to teach online requires some amount of self-directed learning. We are discovering that successful student and faculty outcomes rely largely on our collective desire to participate and support the changes, our ability to acquire new knowledge and competencies, our 8
capacity to address student-related factors and perceptions towards ODeL, and our ability to sustain newly acquired best practices. For partner entities that are implementing ODeL, here are a few things to consider: • Constantly review what is working and what is not working and why and integrate a quality improvement plan in routine (new) practices. • Encourage academic staff to reflect, redefine, and reinterpret existing personal instructional norms and values. This experience requires us to engage in this level of self-reflection and discovery • Personal commitment: identify actions taken by academic staff to develop a commitment to new and emerging instructional and student engagement values. Share widely • Challenge the process: Review not just the cons: in what ways is the change not good for you, for the students or for higher education in general • We encourage that if you are going to fall, fall forward and celebrate every little success. We believe that such a process of inquiry is likely to generate new ways of knowing and doing and will go a long way in supporting the change we want to see. One of the identified barriers for some teaching faculty is the notion that they already know how to teach. We encourage leveraging these experiences for value creation, pursuing change steadily while also broadening their expertise to deliver learning competently through ODeL strategies. In a recent
Faculty Focus publication: Miller (March, 2020) outlines 8 Steps for a smoother transition to online teaching, including: • Being a learner: we are experiencing situations where we are not experts. As I mentioned, ODeL requires some amount of self-directed learning— embrace a learner’s mind-set • Using technology as a means to an end: the goal is to facilitate effective engagement, learning and teaching • Not being the man/woman behind the curtain: Miller posits that High “instructor presence”—the feeling that an instructor is still present in an online educational experience—is more critical now than it has ever been. We are encouraging teaching faculty to log into their course every day, schedule virtual office hours and create community within community through faculty-student to student engagement. • Increase your ability to be a technical resource to your students—the students likely more tech savvy than their teaching faculty—in most cases anyway. • Promoting engagement: I think this author says it better—please read the article • Upskilling, upskilling, upskilling—we all need to learn. “Everyone (faculty, administrators, and students) will need to upskill themselves in educational technology quickly”. Please remember, you are not alone. We are all learning. • Surveying often and early: we should get to what is not working early so that we have strategies for a recourse. • Keeping it simple: be kind to yourself and others. Miller emphasizes: “Keep your love of teaching front and center while you learn this important 21st century skill!” Are you frustrated? I bet. But there is need to balance frustrations we have with new systems with action. Frustrations without a willingness to learn and without a demonstrated effort, results in equally unhappy and dissatisfied students. Not to mention a loss of faith in the new approaches to education by other critical stakeholders, including parents.
ODeL Strategies at CIU (training of health professional teaching faculty, administrators, student engagement via zoom web conferencing, Covid training etc.) are supported by the Health Professional Education Partnership Initiative (HEPI-SHSSU)
References
Gannon, K. (2018). The case for Inclusive Teaching. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-case-forinclusive-teaching/ Kilis, S., & Yildirim, Z. (2019). Posting Patterns of Students’ Social Presence, Cognitive Presence, and Teaching Presence in Online Learning. Online Learning Journal [OLJ], 23(2), 179+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A593147940/ PROF?u=iastu_main&sid=PROF&xid=a7a6f44a
9
Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga
Named 100+ outstanding Nurse (YONM) By Daphne Bukirwa
Dr. Nanyonga graces our list of 100+ outstanding women nurses and midwives with a decades-long history of much-deserved distinctions for her work caring for children and championing nursing in her home country of Uganda and beyond. Her work to end child sacrifices in Uganda (an effort to earn blessings from ancestors) has helped to alter the way the practice has manifested in her native country. “She is what I can refer to as a nurse with a difference who has risen through the different levels: the lowest, as a Nursing Aid, to a PhD nurse, to being a Vice-Chancellor. She is an inspiration and has touched the lives of many.”
10
Dr. Nanyonga is not just a subject matter expert at strengthening health systems in lower and middleincome countries, implementation science research, community health care and higher education
leadership; she is an engaging and inspirational speaker and advocate, bringing her expertise and her experience to the masses. It wasn’t an easy route for Dr. Nanyonga, and her work today is evidence of her fierce commitment to paying it forward: though she says she didn’t have examples, encouragement, or confidence, she says, she paved her way to leadership roles and now, she mentors young women in the nursing profession. Dr. Nanyonga’s success is a critical example that lights the way for millions of women in the global health workforce
LEAD . INNOVATE . TRANSFORM
Keeping CIU accountable
to our
vision By Sean Clarke Recently I had the chance to share the CIU Mission and Vision with some friends of mine who are also invested in some way with CIU either personally, emotionally and for some financially. I was asking this group to keep us accountable to that vision, because I have learned that in times of great pressure it can be tempting to justify a compromise of vision and mission. Yet at CIU we pride ourselves on being a values based university, this is in our mission and vision statement, and it’s in our DNA. I asked these friends to ensure that this always remains the same, in good times or bad. Our vision statement says we are a values-based university that inspires leadership, critical thinking, innovation, and outstanding academic training that transforms communities. Our tag line consists of 3 key words - Lead, Innovate, Transform. I find these to be 3 powerful, and also very challenging words, because they ask us to push outside of our comfort zones, and also represent the tools by which we meet the needs and help to shape our communities and our country for the better.
While meeting these friends on Zoom we looked briefly at the journey CIU has taken since inception. I was able to share with them an image I took of our building that morning. Many of them are based in the UK and have been unable to travel to Uganda since the pandemic began. Perhaps some people on visiting the new CIU building who know nothing of our history might fail to be impressed with our mostly, but not yet finished, grey concrete building. But anyone who feels this way has failed to appreciate what this has taken to achieve. My friends on this zoom call were amazed. One of them had personally raised the funds to offer CIU an interest free loan, which is the reason we are able to finish the 4 floor building. These friends of CIU were amazed that in the year of the pandemic, where we suffered forced closure, had to innovate online learning, had to adapt to unprecedented conditions, and suffered numerous tragedies, we had managed not just to survive, but to forge ahead in our roadmap, and move into a new home, paving the way to charter. In describing our journey I find it interesting that CIU started as a nursing school specifically to address the need for better quality nurses, since Dr Clarke was operating medical businesses, and felt that need was not being adequately addressed. And so the Nursing school, which evolved into a University, was born. In fact it was Rose, before she became Dr Rose, who would lead the innovation that would transform the teaching of nursing and health sciences more widely in Uganda. Now - re read the previous sentence, do any key words jump out at you? There in the very inception, the origin story of CIU, are the key concepts of leadership, innovation and transformation of our community and our country. The university has developed and changed so much since then. People have come and gone, leadership has changed, we have weathered some storms and are weathering more at this time. Many aspects of CIU might be unrecognisable to nurses from the first cohort of students, we have a different home (our very own campus), even the name is now different. But I do believe we are still making decisions based on our values, and that we as an institution, and each and every student that graduates from CIU, are striving to Lead, innovate and Transform. 11
“
Revamping our School of Business and Applied Technology.
Meet the new SOBAT Team By Daphne Bukirwa The School Of Business and Applied Technology (SOBAT) is the youngest school at the University. The School was born out of the need to meet the country’s demand for well trained and qualified business professionals. SOBAT aspires to usher in a new way of training and tooling business professionals. We aim to become a leading Ugandan business school that offers development of global business skills, applicable to a local business context aimed at achieving a social development agenda which increases wealth and welfare in Uganda, building on current business school best practice, the latest technological capabilities and
12
capitalizing on Uganda’s growing faith-based culture Since its opening in 2019, we have made a number of changes, to revamp and improve the school. Here are some of the new changes. 1) The School has increased its product offering to meet the aspirations of the market. It now offers the popular Master of Business Administration (MBA) whose inquiries have been impressive so far. This is in addition to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Applied Computing Technologies (BACT), Bachelor of Procurement and logistics Management (BPL), Bachelor of Tourism and Hospitality Management (BTH) and Bachelor of Accounting and Finance (BAF). 2) Partnership with Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB). The university is partnering with Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) to train Certificate and Diploma students in Business, Information communication Technology, Applied computing technologies, Tourism and hospitality, Finance and Accounting and procurement and Logistics. Students on these programmers are examined by UBTEB. After graduation from these UBTEB courses, the students can now enroll on the School’s degree programs. 3)
The school has recruited a team of brilliant
minds to push their agenda forward. Under the excellent leadership of the Vice Chancellor Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, SOBAT has added the following minds to their team.
The new SoBAT Team
Michael Niyetegeka Michael is the Program Director Refactory and a Strategic Adviser SoBAT at Clarke International University. He is also the ICDL Africa Country Manager for Uganda. He is passionate and practices Leadership Development, Business Technology Strategy and Business Advisory Services. Michael Niyitegeka possesses 20 years of working experience in both the private and public sectors, and holds an MBA from MsM/ESAMI Business School, and is a Franklin Covey Certified Facilitator. Michael worked with Makerere University for 12 years in varied capacities as a researcher, trainer, and head of Corporate Relations. He also has extensive consulting experience with government, private, regional, and international institutions. Michael was a member of the ICT Technical Working Group of the Presidential Investor Round Table and the Advisory group for the Government of Uganda on the 4th Industrial Revolution Technologies. He is a member of several technology innovation review
panels both locally and internationally. He is a Rotarian and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of technology business leaders. ICT Association of Uganda contributes to Uganda’s Technological development by bringing organizations and key ICT Stakeholders under one body capable of supporting ICT research and advocacy for projects and policies concerning adoption and usage of ICTs by the underserved and unreached in Uganda. JohnBosco Waliraki - Coordinator Academics Head of Department(Finance and Accounting) - Cavendish University – 2010-2019, Audit Supervisor - SKIM certified Public Accountants 2004-2009, Consultant- Revenue Assistant-Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) – 1996-2004, Revenue generation and management - Wealth SMART Partnership Dialogue-Munyonyo - 2001 CPA - Uganda Institute of Certified Public Accountants 2011, MBA (Finance) - Makerere University-2010, ACCA - United Kingdom – 2010, ACCA-United Kingdom 2006, Bsc(Economics/ Statistics) - Makerere University - 1994, Julia Nansubuga - Business Consultant Upskill Lead & Business Development ManagerJuly 2020 – November 2020 , Adjunct Lecturer - Refactory CIU Sept. 2018 – Present, DirectorNately Creations Limited Sept. 2017 – Present , Coach Delivery Consultant - Feb. 2014 – Sept. 2017, Head Education Practice; Franklin Covey Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Togo, Delivery Consultant, Client Partner; Franklin Covey Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Togo - Sept. 2012 – Feb. 2014 , Program Manager; Google Uganda with Iridium Interactive Limited, Kenya, Jan. 2011 – June 2012 , Research Officer - Centre for Justice Studies and Innovations (Legal NGO) Mar. 2010 – Jan. 2011 PGD - Project Planing and Management - UMI 2012-2013, Bachelors in Ethics and Development Studies - UMU Lillian Achola - Faculty Admin 13
14
CIU’s First ever Virtual Graduation! 2021 Graduation of Clarke International University By Daphne Bukirwa
Following the country wide measures required to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, on the 19th of March 2021, CIU like many other Universities across the world held its first ever virtual graduation. A total of 300 students graduated in the fields of Public Health, Nursing and Midwifery and Allied Health. The graduation was a colorful event aired live on the University’s social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Unlike previous years, where parents, gradaunds and staff were present for the graduation, this year was only attended by a handful of guests and the rest of the student body watched and received their degrees online. In spite of the grave inconvenience, the event was still a huge success, as it featured a list of speakers that were both uplifting and inspiring in these particularly challenging times. In attendance was the Promoter Dr. Ian Clarke, the Chancellor Bishop Zach Niyingiye, the Vice Chancellor Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, the chair of council, Dr. Galukande, faculty deans, and a few of our alumni and graduands. The guest of honor was none other than the Irish ambassador to Uganda, His Excellence William Carlos, who gave his commencement speech online. In his speech the Ambassador praised the work done by CIU alumni on the front line. He encouraged health care workers to recognize patients as more
than just a number, but as people. “In the domain of healthcare, we must never ever forget that every number is a person: a father or mother, a brother or sister, a son or daughter. Today is the official passage of you joining a precious pillar of society--one that seeks to protect and promote the health of others... such a noble profession.” He said. The Vice chancellor Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, thanked the Promoter Dr. Clarke for his commitment to growing the University. Amidst a country wide lock down, the University was able to move to its new permanent home in Bukasa. A significant milestone for the University. She also thanked the graduands and faculty for adopting to the Distance and E-learning platform ODeL. She noted that most of the student’s learning was disrupted and pivoted toward online learning. Some students and even faculty initially struggled with the adjustment, but persevered. This made it possible for graduands to complete their course work in time for graduation. Angela Musimenta, BScN, the valedictorian thanked her fellow graduands for enduring and not giving up in spite of all the challenges that came with graduating during a pandemic. She also thanked the parents and graduands for the endless support and sacrifices. This is CIU’s 11th graduation ceremony. 15
16
17
ALUMNA TURNED MP By Daphne Bukirwa
18
Before she was the women’s representative for Kamwenge District, Hon. Bahireira Tumwekwase Sylvia, was like every other CIU student struggling to complete her assignments and make good grades, in order to complete her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Clarke International University. She joined Clarke International University- then International Health Sciences University, in 2019 and was among the second lot of nursing graduates from the University in December of 2012. She recounts her experience at CIU as very empowering and enlightening. “After that experience, I felt like I could accomplish anything.”-and indeed she did. After graduation, she was immediately promoted to Senior Nursing and Midwifery Officer at Rukungyu hospital in Kamwenge. While at the hospital she
transformed the whole nursing section, applying all her knowledge from CIU to her work. She then joined Uganda Martrys University Nkozi to do her Masters of Science in Nursing. After her Masters, she still felt like her calling was to serve her district. She moved back and worked as the acting Health Officer of Kamwenge. It was while she was working as acting health officer that she realized that in order for her to make real change, she had to be involved in policy making. “I am not an office person. As a health care worker, you need to be in the field. And while in the field, I learned the needs of my people. I realized a lot of my people did not have the basic needs like water. I knew I had to get involved more.” She then left public service and joined a Belgian Development Agency as she pursued her political ambitions. She had enormous support from her family. Her husband and children encouraged her and were very accommodating, even when her work took time away from them. She got support from the people of Kamwenge, who already saw her as a beacon of hope and change. Most of her political inspiration steered from watching her father, a local village leader resolve people’s problems. “Locals came to him with all kinds of issues and he was able to help”. Her father planted
the seed and it was only a matter of time, before she followed in his footsteps. As Women’s representative for Kamwenge District, she mainly wants to focus on improving her people’s house hold incomes, by changing their mind sets. She would like to see the people of Kamwenge moving from traditional agro practices, to more lucrative contemporary methods. She would like to see them
grow more cash crops like cocoa and coffee which will improve their incomes, as these crops are in high demand all over the world. She believes that once incomes improve, then everything else improves, including health. Hon. Tumwekwase embodies all our CIU values. She is a great leader; innovator and she is for sure going to transform our nation. BRAVO Honorable!
Dr.Rose Clarke Nanyonga
Earns Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction’ s Highest Honor By Daphne Bukirwa John Ed Chambers III of Danville, Benny Harris of Russellville and Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga of Kampala, Uganda, will be inducted into the Arkansas Tech University Hall of Distinction in 2020.
Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna, Distinguished Alumni Service, Outstanding Young Alumnus/ Alumna, Distinction in Intercollegiate Athletics and Distinguished Service (non-alumnus)
Chambers will be inducted under the Distinguished Service category, while Harris and Nanyonga will be inducted under the Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna category.
Dr. Rose Clarke Nanyonga is a 2002 graduate of ATU with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Nanyonga went on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Baylor University and her Doctor of Philosophy degree in nursing from Yale University.
Established in 1964, the Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction recognizes the accomplishments of Arkansas Tech alumni and friends in five categories:
Today, she serves as vice chancellor for Clarke
19
International University in Uganda. Nanyonga is also a senior faculty member at Clarke International. She teaches courses in health policy and planning as well as advanced strategic management. Nanyonga is an advocate for children’s rights and providing leadership opportunities to health care providers. She serves on boards for Clarke Group, Narrow Road International Aid, The Nursing Now Campaign, Uganda Steering Committee, REMI East
Africa and The Sinza Project. Stanford University has named Nanyonga a leadership fellow in its Women Leaders in Global Health initiative, while the Yale University School of Nursing has bestowed its Distinguished Alumna award upon her
CIU:
THE END OF AN ACADEMIC YEAR:
JUNE 25TH, 2021 By Dr. Rose C Nanyonga
To the CIU Family, Friends, Parents & Guardians, and Strategic Partners, As we come to the close of this unusual academic year, I keep thinking about the Zulu phrase “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” …meaning that a person is a person through other people…I am because we are. At graduation in March this year, I was keenly aware that our being here and our ability to foster continuity of learning for those health professional graduates in the year of covid took collective effort. In the history of Clarke International University (CIU) these last 16 months have unearthed a culture of solidarity, commitment, fortitude and resilience that I, as a team leader of this impressive community, didn’t even think was possible. Indeed, “If you want to go far, go together.” First, congratulations to our students, teaching faculty, administrators and support staff for not closing their minds when the doors to schools and universities were closed. The successful completion of the academic years 2019- 2020-2021 has largely depended on our collective commitment, exploring potential solutions 20
rather than naming the challenges, a willingness to try and fail and re-enter learning. Our physical doors may have been closed, but we have collectively strived to keep the doors of teaching, research and learning open. Operating in this pandemic requires more than an ambitious vision. CIU has relied on dedicated staff as well as the willingness of students, parents, guardians and other stakeholders to ensure that the growing need of both health and ICT-enabled business professionals is met. If we have learned anything these past 16-months, it is that when hospitals are open, health professional training schools must remain open as there is need to rapidly increase the number, quality, capacity and the health of healthcare workers. We can only do so by fostering technology-enabled teaching and learning. As we look ahead to the new academic year 20212022, we know that the education needs of our community will continue to be met through Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) options. It is true, however, that even in the best of circumstances, and
in spite of our unwavering commitment to enhancing digital options for learning, steep costs related to eLearning infrastructure development, student and faculty factors as well as restrictive regulation can only serve to undermine some of these efforts if not consistently addressed.
University that inspires leadership, critical thinking, and innovation… and that our principal mission is to prepare students for global leadership and for our students to be catalysts for transformation.
We will continue to work collaboratively with the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) to ensure that enabling eLearning regulations are prioritized to enable schools to meet the education needs in uncertain and challenging times. This will also require leveraging lessons learned in the last 16 months, securing and strengthening effective partnerships that can support emerging and innovative practices in Higher Education Institutions. And it will also require students and faculty to continue to develop and sharpen a broad range of eLearning and digital competencies that are relevant to health professional’s education. Investments in these areas will help us enhance both student and faculty development and continue to place instruction and engagement at the core of virtual teaching and learning in the months ahead. Finishing this year has sometimes felt like a marathon. Other times, a relay. And recently with the second lockdown, it felt as though the starter pistol went off and we (in the education sector) stayed at the start line. For a few minutes after the second closure of schools was announced, I stared blankly at the phone…wondering whether I should start running, opt for a do-nothing option, or simply have a nice meltdown. The later was quite appealing… I had to remind myself that we are a Values-Based
Turning these words into actions that propel us forward is exactly what our staff and partners have done all year long In addition, our students, their parents and guardians have remained steadfast but not without challenges. More than 200 of our students could not graduate in March this year due to financial challenges. At graduation this year, I put out a call for support. The goal? To raise 20,000.00USD to support at least 40 of these health professionals to graduate. Last Mile Scholarships In the last two weeks, existing vulnerabilities of our health system have become even more apparent with the covid-19 second wave. We simply don’t have enough providers and the sooner we place more skilled healthcare workers into the system the quicker we can alleviate the current burden on the
21
health system. I want to express immense gratitude to friends of CIU who have already responded to our call for scholarships. With funds we have received so far, we have been able to support 10 nurses and midwives. An additional 10 have been awarded scholarships towards their last semester starting in August. We are grateful to the Narrow Road International Aid who have pledged to match every dollar we receive up to a total of 7000.00USD (seven Thousand). Help us reach our goal of supporting 40 healthcare workers by the end of this year. To support the Last Mile Scholarship Campaign please contact us directly at vc@ciu.ac.ug or rjscholarshipfund@gmail.com In the USA: Donations can be sent to: Narrow Road International Aid http://www.narrowroadintl.org/Narrow_Road__Roses_ Journey.html (Purpose RJSF) In Uganda: Donations can be sent to: Clarke International University Account number: 6000164850 Bank Name: Absa Bank Uganda Limited Bank Location: Tank Hill Parade Muyenga Swift Code: BARCUGKX Purpose (RJSF) Thank you to all our friends and partners for every dollar donated towards this campaign. Getting to December 2020 We want to encourage Students, Parents, Sponsors and other stakeholders that the closure of school does not mean halting our research activities. We would like to ensure that all students who are eligible to graduate from last year graduate as scheduled in December this year. Managing your dissertation experience virtually requires intentional engagement. We encourage you to continue working with your 22
supervisors. With all the Covid-19 restrictions and SOPs related to research conduct, the earlier you embark on this journey the more likely you will complete before the deadlines. Beyond your supervisor we have good resources in the Research Office, The Library, the ICT Office, the Deans and Faculty Secretaries. You simply need to reach out. Whatever you have learned this year, use it, or you will lose it
Don’t Let the Dissertation Swallow You! We are a Zoom Call away
“
I have personally been impressed with our Covid-19 Champions who have made sure that as a community we stay alert and do our part to stop the pandemic. What we do, how we do it and why affects every graduate we send out to the frontline. As a community of healthcare providers and trainers, leading communities in this fight is our primary duty. Let’s start at home.
Trauma: Be Part of the Solution The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the need to increase access to skilled mental health professionals. For those looking to enhance their skill set to address the mounting needs of trauma, loss and adversity in our communities, the CIU-Tutapona Certificate in Trauma and Adversity seeks to meet that need. In collaboration with the Tutapona Institute, we are offering a short online Certificate Course in Trauma and Adversity Intervention. The program is designed to equip and empower leaders to better engage with mental health needs in their communities
To learn more, email the Course Administrator sapolot@ciu.ac.ug or Apply directly at http://ciu.ac.ug/celt
23
In Loving Memory We remember all our colleagues who are sick or are mourning the loss of a loved one. We hope you have moments to rest. Strength to get up. Courage to face a new day. And Hope—you are not alone.
LEAD . INNOVATE . TRANSFORM
24
