Muni University

{{Infobox university | name = Muni University (MU) | image = | motto = "Transforming Lives" | established = {{start date and years ago|2013|07|01}}<ref name="1R">{{cite web|date=4 July 2011 |access-date=1 May 2018 |url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/688334-1193912-aksbkxz/index.html |title=West Nile University Opening Hangs In Balance |author=Felix Okello Warom |work=[[Daily Monitor]] | location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref> | type = [[Public university|Public]] | chancellor = [[Henry Luke Orombi]]<ref name="2R">{{cite web|title=Retired Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi appointed Chancellor of Muni University| url=https://kalisho.info/retired-archbishop-henry-luke-orombi-appointed-chancellor-of-muni-university/ |access-date=19 October 2022 |date=19 October 2022 | author=Kalisho |work=Kalisho News |location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref> | vice_chancellor = Simon Anguma Katrini<ref name="3R">{{cite web|url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/prof-simon-anguma-appointed-as-muni-university-vice-chancellor-4368472 |title=Prof Simon Anguma appointed as Muni University vice chancellor |work=[[Daily Monitor]] |date=14 September 2023 | author=Dorothy Nagitta |access-date=15 September 2023 | location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref> | city = [[Arua]] | country = [[Uganda]] | pushpin_map = Uganda | coordinates = {{coord|02|59|51|N|30|55|33|E|region:UG|display=inline, title}} | students = 380+ (2018) | staff = | campus = [[Urban area|Urban]] | website = [http://www.muni.ac.ug Homepage] }}

'''Muni University''' (MU) is a public multi-campus university in [[Uganda]].<ref name="4R">{{cite web|url=https://muni.ac.ug/about-muni/historical-background.html |title=Historical Background of Muni University |work=Muni University |date=12 May 2009 | author=Muni University Task Force |access-date=14 August 2023 | location=Arua, Uganda}}</ref> It is one of the public universities and degree-awarding institutions in the country, licensed and supervised by the [[Uganda National Council for Higher Education]] (UNCHE).<ref name="5R">{{cite web| work=[[The Observer (Uganda)]] | url=http://www.observer.ug/education/85-education/16843-muni-focuses-on-sciences |title=Muni Focuses On Sciences |date=29 January 2012 |access-date=1 May 2018 |author=Edward Ssekika | location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref>

==Location== Muni University has its main campus at Muni Hill in the city of [[Arua]] in [[Arua District]], [[West Nile sub-region]], in the [[Northern Region, Uganda|Northern Region]] of Uganda. The campus is just south of Barifa Forest, approximately {{convert|3|km|0}}, by road, south-east of the central business district of Arua.<ref name="6R">{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Arua+Post+Office,+2W87%2BXF2,+Arua+Posta,+Arua+Avenue,+Arua/Muni+University,+Arua/@3.0000783,30.9201624,15z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x176e621401556c3f:0xce00346ee166af29!2m2!1d30.9134545!2d3.0173847!1m5!1m1!1s0x176e618e5f460f29:0xd38719ff7bbb252e!2m2!1d30.926812!2d2.996229!3e0?entry=ttu | title=Road Distance Between Arua Post Office, Arua Avenue, Arua, Uganda and Muni University Campus, Arua, Uganda |access-date=14 August 2023}}</ref> This campus sits adjacent to and immediately north of Muni National Teachers College (MNTC), a 1,300 student, mixed gender, teacher training college.<ref name="7R">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/2%C2%B059'51.0%22N+30%C2%B055'33.0%22E/@2.9979114,30.9265076,627m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d2.9975!4d30.9258333?entry=ttu |title=Location of the Main Campus of Muni University, Arua, Uganda |access-date=14 August 2023}}</ref>

The university owns land in the town of [[Okollo]], Arua District, West Nile sub-region, where it plans to set up a second campus.<ref name="1R"/> Okollo is approximately {{convert|57|km|0}}, by road, south-east of Arua, the largest city in the sub-region, on the [[Arua]]–[[Nebbi]] Road.<ref name="8R">{{google maps| url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Arua/Okollo/@2.8416158,30.7460839,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x176e6265a178c769:0xaa1e18867d91929c!2m2!1d30.907304!2d3.0303299!1m5!1m1!1s0x176e4ce5450d88c3:0x87f242dbb2a0112f!2m2!1d31.1445482!2d2.6513696!3e0 | title=Distance between Arua, Uganda and Okollo, Uganda | access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>

Other locations where campuses might be established include at Bidibidi, in [[Yumbe District]], approximately {{convert|75|km|0}}, by road, north of Arua, and at [[Pakwach]], in [[Pakwach District]], along the [[Albert Nile]], where the university plans to establish a Faculty of Fisheries and Aquaculture.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

==History== Efforts to establish a public university in the West Nile sub-region date back to January 2007 when a delegation of elders from the sub-region made a written request to the president of Uganda. In subsequent bilateral meetings between the Ugandan government and stakeholders from the sub-region, a set of core undergraduate courses was identified to anchor the founding of the institution. In 2009, the Ugandan government, through the Ministry of Education, consented to the creation of the university. A three-person task force was created to establish the university, with a starting date of January 2012. That task force was headed by [[Christine Dranzoa]], the [[vice chancellor]] of the university including Dr. Lam Lagoro and Fr. Epiphany Picho .<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.muni.ac.ug/about_us.html | title=History of Muni University | accessdate=3 October 2014 | publisher=Muni University (Arua) | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724044713/http://muni.ac.ug/about_us.html | archive-date=24 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Initially, the university was named West Nile University, but after wider consultations, the name was changed to Muni University.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://muni.ac.ug/change.html | title=Rationale Behind Name Change | accessdate=3 October 2014 | publisher=Muni University (Arua) | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723131349/http://muni.ac.ug/change.html | archive-date=23 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Academic courses== MU has identified the following undergraduate courses to be offered in the academic year 2015/2016:<ref>{{cite web | date=8 April 2016 | url=http://muni.ac.ug/downloads/2015/ar/Weighting-System-for-ITM-ISM-NSM-and-SEM.pdf | title=Muni University: Academic Courses Offered | last=MU | accessdate=8 April 2016 | publisher=Muni University (MU) | location=Arua}}</ref>

* Bachelor of Science in Information Technology * Bachelor of Information Systems * Bachelor of Science with Education * Bachelor of Nursing Science * Bachelor of Science in Agriculture * Bachelor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship. *According to [https://www.education.co.ug/ Education News Uganda], Muni University signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AfriChild Centre to enhance research<ref>{{Cite web|title=Muni University signs MoU with AfriChild centre for the study of African child|url=https://www.education.co.ug/2020/03/11/muni-university-africhild-centre/|date=2020-03-11|website=Education News Uganda|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-25}}</ref>

New courses under development as of February 2019, pending approval of the UNCHE include:<ref name="11R"/>

* Bachelor of Science in Vocational and Technical Education.

==Student intake== MU was expected to admit its first batch of undergraduate students during the 2013/2014 academic year, beginning in August/September 2013.<ref>{{cite web | title=Muni University Opens For Courses Next Year| date=19 June 2012 | accessdate=3 October 2014 | first=David | last=Rupiny | url=https://ugandaradionetwork.com/a/story.php?s=42889 | publisher=Uganda Radio Network (URN)}}</ref> After a one-year delay, the first class of 100 students was admitted in November 2014.<ref>{{cite web | accessdate=19 November 2014 | first=Clement | title=200 Muni University Pioneer Students Formally Initiated | newspaper=[[Daily Monitor]] | location=Kampala | last=Aluma | url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/200-Muni-varsity-pioneer-students-formally-initiated/-/688334/2526906/-/le9bku/-/index.html | date=19 November 2014}}</ref> Another 100 students were admitted in August 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/West-Nile-students-miss-out-on-Muni-varsity-admissions--/-/688334/2712288/-/rcm8s9z/-/index.html | title=West Nile students miss out on Muni University admissions | accessdate=8 April 2016 | date=11 May 2015 | first=Felix Warom Okello | last=Clement Aluma | newspaper=[[Daily Monitor]] | location=Kampala}}</ref>

In November 2018, the university graduated its second class of graduates, numbering 92, an increase from the first graduating class of 77, in 2017. At that time, only two courses were on offer; the [[Bachelor of Information Systems]] and [[Bachelors of Science]] in [[Information Technology]].<ref name="11R">{{cite web|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1489129/92-students-graduate-muni-university |title=92 students graduate at Muni University |newspaper=[[New Vision]] |date=8 November 2018 | access-date=8 November 2018 |first=Edna |last=Piyic | location=Kampala}}</ref>

==See also== * [[Education in Uganda]] * [[List of universities in Uganda]] * [[List of university leaders in Uganda]]

==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.muni.ac.ug Muni University Homepage] * [https://redpepper.co.ug/2022/01/new-muni-university-secretary-sworn-in/ New Muni University Secretary Sworn In] As of 31 January 2022. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120425163645/http://www.muni.ac.ug/files/ACT.pdf Uganda Universities & Other Tertiary Institutions Act of 2001] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20141006075350/http://africaafrica.org/university/muni-university University Profile At Africaafrica.org]

[[Category:Muni University]] [[Category:Public universities]] [[Category:Universities and colleges in Uganda]] [[Category:Arua District]] [[Category:2012 establishments in Uganda]] [[Category:Arua]] [[Category:Universities and colleges established in 2012]]