Uganda Christian University (UCU) is set to start offering oil and gas related courses as post graduate level under four faculties starting with the academic year 2012/2013.

Speaking at a public lecture at the Mukono campus on Oct 8, Patson Arinaitwe, a Law lecturer said, “UCU will offer post graduate diplomas, certificates, electives in a semester for several disciplines that have been identified and the training will be done in the different areas of study like Science, Business, Law and Social sciences.
Vincent Kisenyi, the Dean of the Business Faculty said, “We did a survey for four months (February-June 2010) where we consulted stakeholders about the pertinent opportunities and challenges to determine training needs. This is an opportunity for Ugandans to learn and manage their own resources instead of foreigners (Chinese) doing this for us.”
The survey gathered information from stakeholders like National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Petroleum Exploration and Production Department, Parliament Committee on Natural Resources and National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
The other stakeholders involved were Advocacy Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), local leaders in Bulisa and Hoima, Members of Parliament, Ministry of Local Government, PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) and Tullow Oil.
He further added that, “We also found out that most people are ignorant yet as a nation we need to respond to opportunities and challenges arising from Uganda’s new Oil and Gas industry as we join countries like Nigeria and Iraq among others in producing oil.”
The Faculty of Science will handle pollution, natural resource management, impact assessment and waste management aspects under the Environment Science course while the Business Faculty will include taxation, auditing, business skills, procurement and logistics, marketing and transport among others.
The Law Faculty will also offer an elective course in oil and gas at the undergraduate level while Social sciences will look at change management, urbanization and population explosion, social problems, resource utilization, trans-boundary issues, conflict and central and local government relations among others.
“We are to send several lecturers for expert training in different fields to the best universities in the world like Dundee and Aberdeen in Scotland and University of Houston for a one year Masters course so by 2012 we shall be absolutely be ready to commence,” said Patson Arinaitwe, a UCU Law lecturer who presented at a public lecture on Friday at the Mukono campus.
Later on courses like Civil and Mechanical Engineering will be introduced by the University’s administration while the Oil and Gas courses will also be introduced to Information Technology and Theology courses.