Uganda Flying Labs, Soroti University Join Forces to Build Local Capacity with Cutting Edge Technology

By Uganda Flying Labs

On 25th November 2021, Uganda Flying Labs was over the moon to experience a long-awaited dream of signing a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with an academic institution. Soroti University swept us off our feet with a quick response towards our MOU proposal. As a result, we know we are heading towards exciting times working together to enhance the future workforce exposed to a fusion of technology, innovation, and medicine with robots iced with AI and ML application for today's challenges to be solved.

Soroti University is a young government with its main campus in Arapai sub-county, Soroti District, approximately 9.5 kilometres, by road, northeast of the central business district of Soroti, and around 305 kilometres, by road, northeast of Kampala, the capital city. The campus sits on a massive land of 200 acres geolocated on 1°45'56.0 "N, 33°3'44.0 "E (Latitude:1.765543; Longitude:33.628900).

The first cohort of students was admitted on 17th August 2019 and is benefiting from the expertise of highly qualified lecturers and professors relocated from Makerere University to pioneer the university. The department that is currently available are as follows:

• Institute of Gastronomy and Culinary Sciences
• School of Engineering and Technology
• School of Applied Sciences and Education
• School of Business Sciences and Economics
• School of Medicine and Health Science

We are indebted to Professor Ikoja Odongo, the Vice Chancellor who dedicated time to sign the MOU, and Professor Francis Ejobi, who witnessed. Prof Ejobi has reflected his belief in Uganda Flying Labs after a cattle monitoring project with Makerere University Department of Veterinary Medicine.

The purpose of the MOU is for Collaboration between industry and academia to catalyse innovation and growth in technology. The sector gains work-ready talent with specialist knowledge and practical training. The universities benefit by working on relevant technologies and challenging technologies problems through research.

Consequently, besides serving as sources of people and ideas of Uganda Flying Labs, university collaborations are an essential mechanism for Uganda Flying Labs to open new avenues of engagement with a broader innovation ecosystem. Therefore, Uganda Flying Labs and Soroti University collaborations are vital to fostering innovation.

The university also uses partnerships to engage faculty and students in joint research initiatives, academic exchange programmes, joint degree programmes, collaborative classroom projects, and coordinated events like conferences and symposia.

In Summary, we look forward to harnessing Soroti Students and staff's greatness while continually learning from their hub of knowledge in the next five years!

1. Research and Knowledge Sharing
2. Idea Labs and Workshops 
3. Internship Programs
4. Certification Programs
5. Joint research projects
6. STEM capacity-building projects in conjunction with surrounding community Engage in STEM projects on the engineering components
7. Develop innovations that support drone technology and terrestrial robots
8. Repair and maintain drones used in joint work.
9. Uganda Flying Labs to provide mentorship and technical support for SUN staff and student(s) training in GIS and the use of drones for economic and societal good.
10. Develop software application that will aid AI and ML in robotic technology to support joint projects

Watch this space for updates!