Makerere University Signs MoU with EACOP for Student Internships and Training

Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd to provide a platform for finalist and recently graduated students to undertake internships and industrial training with EACOP. This agreement outlines a framework guiding the collaboration between the two entities.

At a ceremony held at Makerere University on Tuesday, July 16, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, signed on behalf of Makerere University, while Martin Tiffen, the Managing Director, signed on behalf of EACOP. The MoU focuses on two main areas of collaboration: capacity building through internships or graduate training, and training the trainers.

Professor Nawangwe praised the initiative, highlighting its benefits for students from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) and the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), where programmes related to the oil and gas industry are offered. He emphasised the timeliness of the collaboration, noting that the oil and gas sector in Uganda is still in its infancy.

Professor Moses Musinguzi, Principal of CEDAT, expressed the college's readiness to collaborate with EACOP, pointing out that it offers a variety of programmes beyond traditional engineering courses. He stressed that all professionals have something to contribute to the oil pipeline project and assured the college's support in implementing the MoU.

Dr Peter Olupot, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, representing the Dean of the School of Engineering, noted that the school provides a range of programmes relevant to the oil and gas industry, alongside petroleum and geoscience subjects offered at CoNAS. He mentioned the school's shift towards problem-based learning and competence-based assessment, valuing industry-academia relationships to produce graduates well-suited for the industry.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd. is a project company established to develop, build, and operate a pipeline system transporting crude oil from the inlet flange at Kabaale in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.