Strengthening bioscience research capacity in Uganda: BecA-ILRI Hub partnership with Gulu University

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Details: Written on Tuesday, 13 June 2017 18:07

13 June 2017–The Gulu University vice chancellor Nyeko Pen-Mogi visited the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub in Nairobi yesterday.

Pen-Mogi was exploring opportunities to strengthen the capacity of the team charged with establishing and maintaining a USD 12 million biosciences research facility at the Gulu University, northern Uganda.

‘I want to ensure that my team is competent in operating and maintaining all the equipment that will be installed in the new lab,’ said Pen-Mogi, adding that he was pleased with the increased capacity of his staff who had already received training at the BecA-ILRI Hub.

The partnership between Gulu University and the BecA-ILRI Hub begun in 2009 with support to the university in developing a proposal that earned the institution a grant to establish a bioscience platform to support the human medicine, veterinary medicine, plant science and basic sciences faculties of the university.

To date, the Ugandan institution has benefited from a range of capacity building activities including research mentorship through the Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) fellowship program; training during the BecA-ILRI Hub annual training workshops; hosting special trainings on laboratory management. In 2014, a team from the BecA-ILRI Hub and ILRI engineering department provided technical support in installing the university’s bioscience platform.

During his visit, Pen-Mogi met ABCF fellows from Gulu University currently conducting part of their research at the BecA-ILRI Hub including: Geofrey Kawube a lecturer investigating blast disease management in improved finger millet; and Godfrey Otim and Geoffrey Wokorach who are developing and validating a new diagnostic tool for detection and characterization of sweet potato viruses in East Africa.