ABEC

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Brief description

Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) is now 25years in existence and together with Makerere University are the key institutions generating majority of Uganda’s expertise/human resource in Science and Technology. It values its track record of solid community-oriented, multi-disciplinary education. The unique approach used for training students at MUST provide and emphasizes acquaintance to rural and grassroots systems and skills. The overall vision of the Faculty of Applied Science and Technology (FAST) is ‘to be a center of excellence in the provision of quality training and promote research and innovation in applied and multi-disciplinary Science, Engineering and Technology with a focus on community development’.

In line with government policy on Higher Education of Science and Technology, Vision 2040, and the National Development Plan, the promotion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation has been prioritized. This has seen the establishment of Faculty of Applied Science and Innovation (FAST) to host departments of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering etc. Beside computer engineering which has been in existence since 2009, BME has been prioritized among the planned courses under FAST with enrolment of pioneer students set for 2016.

The training of students in biomedical engineering will expose the students to the world of advancing technologies in addition to sustainable technology development for developing countries, and in this way, the University would achieve its goal toward improving the livelihood of communities and the national economy.

MUST boasts of vibrant and solid Faculties of Medicine, Science, and Institutes of Management science (IMS) and Inter-disciplinary Training and Research (IITR), but also an institute of Computer science with key courses like Computer Engineering, computer science and Information Technology. These avail a ready cohort of trainers that will offer a quick boost on the new Faculty of Applied Science and Technology academic programmes especially BME.

MUST also benefits from a strong collaboration with the Mbarara regional Referral Hospital, MSF-Epicentre, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and others, who offer a platform for students training/ internships and promote research and innovation. MUST also has a growing Innovation Centre with key collaborations like the Consortium of Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTECH), which runs a Co-creation laboratory and offers internships to young innovators from any faculty of the University. Also the collaboration MUST has with Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) that is also specifically aligned with support of the BME development and applied research offers it an opportunity for students internship and incubation of some engineering projects. MUST is one of the proud founder members of African Biomedical Engineering consortium (ABEC) in 2012.

In terms of Infrastructure, MUST has been supported heavily by African Development Bank to construct a new Campus that will host the FAST. This has granted a big space to establish every needed programme or service that biomedical engineering and Innovation need. The University also has an active and dependable Grants office with competent human resource.