The Vice Chancellor of Kampala International University in Tanzania (KIUT), Professor Jamidu Katima expressed the university’s delight and anxiousness to have students resume their studies after months of closure due to the novel corona virus (COVID-19) outbreak that was reported in Tanzania for the first time on 16th March 2020.
The Vice Chancellor gave these sentiments when setting up the KIUT Covid-19 Taskforce, mandated to plan, and implement the guidelines articulated by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children. The taskforce, chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administration, comprises of various management units, administrative units (directorates), academic units and the student’s government that reports to the Vice Chancellor’s office with enforcement updates.
Furthermore, Professor Katima unveiled that during the closure, the management through collective collaboration with its various University units, adapted the use of e-learning that enabled students to continue with studies remotely using internet induced platforms, allowing lecturers to upload notes and record multimedia content for learning. Despite the adaptation receiving positive reception by students and lecturers, the management knew the challenges of internet access by some of the students and their return would enable them to stay aligned with their respective academic curricula.
Commenting on their return, the VC assures the students, parents, and guardians that the University has followed through the Health Ministry’s protective guidelines against COVID-19 on the campus, ensuring their safety as they resume their studies. Some of the noted measures are placing of hand washing facilities with running water and soaps at all entrances in the classrooms, laboratories, halls, and other key University buildings, ensure facemasks are worn by students, staff members, and guests entering the University at all times within the campus. Other measures include temperature tests at University entry points, where people with temperatures above 37.7°C will not be allowed to enter and interact with others but be referred to the help desks for immediate attention.
These measures do not exclude buildings and furniture being disinfected at-least once every weak together with ensuring strict social distancing measures are adhered to such as increased spacing in lecturer rooms, and offices, remining University Community to avoid hand shaking, and continued use of e-learning platforms among others.
Commenting on the measures, the KIUT COVID-19 Taskforce Chairman, Professor Severin Rugumamu believes that with time, the virus will fizzle away as these measures will become the new norm. Adding to the strategies, the Chairperson also asserted the need of awareness campaigns to continuously educate and remind students and staff members of the dangers of COVID-19 and preventive measures to safeguard one another. Awareness will extend beyond the University to neighbouring communities since we do not live in isolation and deeply value the merits of our integration.
Kampala International University in Tanzania is a private University located in Dar es Salaam that also suspended all teaching activities when the Government gave the announcement in late March in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that wreaked havoc globally. Despite the situation, the University managed to continue its operations, adapting to the new norm by using the internet and other remote induced mechanism to stay in touch with its students and have them continue learning as they awaited further instructions from the governing bodies.
Upon their arrival, the university intends to address students and staff members, while observing social distancing protocols to familiarize them on the new guidelines and how they are expected to conduct themselves through this period for their protection until further directives as will be provided by the Government from time to time.
