Gulu University (GU) is a university in Uganda. It is one of the nine public universities in the country, as of September 2016.[3]
Location
As of October 2016[update], GU has three campuses.
(a) The main campus is approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi), by road, north-east of the central business district of Gulu, the largest city in the Uganda's Northern Region. This is approximately 333 kilometres (207 mi), by road, north of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[4]
(b) The second campus is in the town of Kitgum, approximately 104 kilometres (65 mi), by road, north-east of Gulu,[5] close to the international border with South Sudan. That campus became operational in 2011.[6]
(c) Upon the request of the Kingdom of Bunyoro, the university established a campus in the city of Hoima, offering agriculture, environment, computer science, information technology, business studies, accounting and education.[6]
History
GU was established by Act 7 of 2001 of the Parliament of Uganda. That Act was subsequently amended by Act 3 of 2006. The university admitted its first students and commenced teaching activities in September 2002.[7]
Progress
On 23 January 2010, during the fifth annual graduation ceremony, GU awarded degrees to 1,050 graduates, including 40 medical doctors, the first graduating class of the Gulu University School of Medicine (with the help of the University of Naples Federico II).[8] The graduates also included thirteen students who received a Master of Business Administration degree.[9]
Former association with Lira University
In 2009, GU established a constituent college in the city of Lira,[10] which is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the southeast of Gulu.[11] The campus, then named Lira University College,[12] admitted its first students in August 2012 (100 of them).[13] It continued operating in this capacity until the Ugandan Parliament (Act No. 35, July 2016) elevated it to an independent public university. Since 1 August 2016, it has been referred to as Lira University.[10][14]
Academic courses
Undergraduate programs
As of January 2016[update], the following undergraduate academic degree courses were offered at GU, according to an advertisement placed in the New Vision by the university.[6]
Master of Arts in Public Administration & Management
Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation Studies
Master of Arts in Governance and Ethics
Faculty of Science
Master of Science in Applied Tropical Entomology and Parasitology
Master of Science in Agri-Enterprises Development
Master of Science in Food Security and Community Nutrition
Students
In July 2014, GU admitted 2,500 privately sponsored students and approximately 250 government-sponsored students. The total student population in 2014 was about 5,000, including diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programme enrollees.[16]
Staff
As of January 2013[update], GU employed 421 full-time staff, of whom 241 were academic staff and 180 were non-teaching staff.[6] As of August 2013, the university had a shortage of 73 academic staff, according to Vice Chancellor Jack Nyeko Pen-Mogi.[17]
