GRADUATION DAY ANNOUNCED!!!

By  Edwin Murunga

The long awaited day for the graduation ceremony has now been set. Speaking in his office, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Ntambirweki confirmed that the historical 11^th graduation ceremony will be held on 18^th March 2011 at the institution’s main campus in Fort Portal starting at 10.00 am. He however clarified that the graduation was postponed from December last year (2010) due to the rigorous campaign process all over the country. He further challenged all the granduants to finish all their dues on time so as not to be inconvenienced. Interviewing one of the graduands, a one Fredrick Ojode, said this is the best Valentines present this year and can’t wait for the day. All are welcomed for this conspicuous occasion.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR By: Erastus Ang'ienda

The Board, Management and staff of Uganda Pentecostal University takes this special opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy new year.

May the good Lord guide and bless you this festive season as you share the joy of Christmas with you family and friends.

The university officially breaks on the 18th of December 2010 and resumes on the £rd of January 2011.

God bless you and enjoy your festive season

WELCOME TO THE UPU IT LAB By: Michelle Akinyi

Students browsing the Internet at the lab IT

After visiting most of the IT laboratories owned by institutions of higher learning in western Uganda, I came to the conclusion that Uganda Pentecostal University owns the simplest and most effective laboratory in the region. The lab is a host to over 40 computers, all in their best conditions and fully connected to the internet. The lab also has hanging network cables that cater for those who visit the place with laptops. 
The lab attendants are always at the service of the students, helping them where they cannot maneuver with ease.
The lab is open from 8am to 9pm to both students and lectures of the university at absolutely no cost, it is also open for researchers who wish to use the facilities in it under a special arrangement with the department of information technology.

REGISTRATION FOR MARCH INTAKE IN PROGRESS By: Office of the Academic Registrar

The office of the academic registrar would like to inform the entire public that registration for the March intake is currently going on. Application forms can be found at the university main campus in Fort Portal, the Kampala campus in Mengo and at the Kamwenge study center. The applications can also be found at Family Support Services (FASUSE), the Kenya liaison offices located in Kisumu on Oginga Odinga street, Alpha house 2^nd floor wing B.

All interested candidates are advised to visit any of these offices for application procedures and guidelines.

Below is a list of demand driven courses offered at Uganda Pentecostal University.

 Bachelor of law (LLB) 4 years

 Masters of laws (LLM) 1 ½ Years

 Bachelors in journalism and communication (BJC)

 Bachelors in information technology (BIT)

 Masters of Arts (MA)

 Masters in Philosophy (MPHIL)

 Bachelors of Art with Education (BAED)

 Bachelors of Art with social science (BASS)

 Diploma in Business Administration (DBA)

 Diploma in journalism and media management (DJMM)

 Diploma in information technology (DIT)

 Diploma in law (DLL)

 Diploma in Education primary

 Diploma in public Administration (DPA))

 Diploma in Primary Education

 Diploma in Development studies (DDS)

Certificate courses

Certificate in project planning management

Certificate in computer

Certificate in management

Certificate in public administrative

Foundations of African ethics By: Pastole Bamwesigye

African ethics is a big enterprise that calls us to reflect on the behaviors of Africans most especially between an individual and the entire society. It is important to note that what we call morality or ethics today in Africa is traced far back in the early stages of African civilization especially before colonialism.

In African conception of ethics and morality both terms mean the same thing. Morality or ethics is the conduct or behavior of a person. There is no African ethics without the conception of human person that is anthropology,

                                

community and   Theo centric. In African ethics, reference to God is a must. The community is the starting point of ethics but this cannot be reduced to only the visible community. The entire African community is made up of the living, the living dead, the ancestors, not yet born children and God.

Africans tend to speak about the human beings than God. This is because; God cannot be reached directly. In African set up, the one who is against a human person is against God. The one, who treats the fellow human being rightly, is praising God.

           

The main goal of African ethics is life itself. Everything done by Africans is characterized by vital force. The African community must guarantee the promotion and protection of life. Any behavior that is against life is not ethical and therefore African morality and ethics must promote life.

The ethics of palaver for example expresses oneness among Africans and creates a critical distance with non-Africans. In the palaver, the council of elders normally comes together to discuss about norms and values of life. It is in the palaver that norms are discovered and justified.

The assumption of palaver insists on freeing members from the suffered problems. It is a process of healing and reconciliation and penance. The family palaver is a kind of dialogue and fellowship. It establishes peace, strengthens relationships, and promotes unity among family members. Vital force is the central dimension of African thinking. 

Pastole Bamwesigye is the head of department school of social sciences Uganda Pentecostal University (UPU)

GROWING STRONGER EACH DAY By: Michelle Akinyi

Once you mention Uganda, the one university that comes to the mind of many is Makerere University. Makerere has existed for decades and it has in turn paved way for other universities to come up.

Uganda Pentecostal University is quickly becoming a leading university with a promise of being the heaven of academics in Uganda. Prof .J. Ntambwireki, an experienced lawyer and a renowned educationists has been at the helm of UPU since inception.

Prof. John Ntambirweki addresses a students gathering after UPU was won the western Uganda University games Championship

Located in fort portal western Uganda, the university is endowed with tranquil and accommodative environment which is condusive for teaching and learning. It promotes interaction between students of different nationalities, ethnic and religious backgrounds which I turn brings harmonious environment in the campus where students exchange ideas and view each others as equals.

UPU has created a niche as a reliable institution of higher learning with marketable courses that assure graduants of jobs on completion. The university has also introduced employment opportunities for their students who perform exemplary, this ensures that the students work hard because they also stand a chance to do masters whose fee is catered for with the lecturing hours one accumulates. The teaching staff is a combination of both the young and the old who act as role models.

This is a show that the university is on the right track and its speed of growth is above average, in the next few years it will be a pillar of education in Uganda everybody will be making reference to.

MY UPU EXPERIENCE By: Ireri Joseph Mureithi LLB finalist

Monday morning October 26th, 2009. My first day at the university, having just transferred credits from another university to UPU, I still don’t know anybody. The morning is chilly, the fog is thick and the dew is still on the grasses. I seem the odd one out because surprisingly everybody I meet is in an upbeat mood and cares the less about the weather.

I walk into the academic registrar’s office and I find Mr. Noel Twinomujuni the deputy academic registrar who warmly welcomes me to the University and after the registration process hand me my admission letters and my class time table. The service offered to me is fast and efficient and leaves me wondering if I just met a good person or everybody is like Noel. Immediately I leave the registrar’s office, I bump into a gentleman who introduces himself to me as Charles, I ask him where the LLB class is and instead of just giving me directions to the lecture room, he walks me there and hand me over to someone he referred to as Norman. What a good student! I tell myself.

In our conversation with Norman, I am made to understand Charles is an administrator here at the University and Norman himself is the lecturer who is taking me in Law of taxation.

My first lecture goes fine. The interaction was great and I realise something, the mode of teaching is different from what I had earlier experienced at my former school. It’s now mid day and the sky’s are open. No heavy cloud cover and the sun is bright enough. Just ahead of me is a pair of ladies deeply involved in a conversation as I near them I realise they are talking in kikuyu – my mother tongue, without hesitation i join their conversation.

The day passes so fast that i don’t realise darkness has fallen in, As i lay on my bed that night i convince myself that coming to UPU was the best decision i ever made. The staff are welcoming, no bureaucracies in the offices and the people are friendly, most of it all is the fact that i found my fellow kikuyus on the first day,

Never have I felt at home in foreign land.