ISBAT is the latest university - NCHE

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has accredited International School of Business and Technology (Isbat) into a fully-fledged university.

While announcing the new status last Friday, Fred Jachan Omach, the state minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (General duties), said Isbat was accredited because of its continued efforts to churn out employable graduates.

“Ugandans can now get the world-class education that Isbat is known for and still get a Ugandan-accredited degree in their choice of study,” said Omach, who doubles as the university chancellor.

“Previously, people would get international degrees and then seek to have them accredited locally by the NCHE in order to get jobs, which was a waste of time for many.”

Since its inception in 2005, Isbat has received several accreditations from a tertiary institution in 2007 to a private other-degree-awarding institution in 2013, before moving into their permanent home last year located along the Lugogo bypass near Kololo SS in Kampala.

Isbat University chairman, board of directors, Varghese Mundamattam, said the university’s quest to change lives of students and the society at large remains key as the university scales to greater heights.

“With our new status, the sky is the limit…we shall take every step to bring top-notch academic programmes to Ugandans to become more marketable in the highly-competitive global marketplace,” Mundamattam said.

Currently, Isbat University, with a student population of more than 700, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in specialties such as Information Technology, Management, Commerce, Multimedia and Animation.

According to Isbat head of planning and management, Arun Maria Sagai, in the near future, Isbat will introduce a Bachelor of Engineering program in niche areas like Electronic, Communication and Computer Science, and Information Technology, degree in Allied health science, Bachelor of Science in Applied Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics.

Isbat attracts students from 12 countries such as Tanzania, Chad, Sierra Leone, USA, and Rwanda with Uganda having the largest number of students. Arun said the students also have an opportunity to study from Sikkim Manipal University, one of the leading Indian universities as approved by NCHE in 2007.

The university has two admissions in a year – spring drive between January and March and fall drive starting from June to August. Admissions for the 2016 spring drive are already ongoing.

COURSES SO FAR ACCREDITED BY NCHE

    •    Foundation Programme
    •    Diploma in Business Administration (DBA)
    •    Diploma in Information Technology (DIT)
    •    Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
    •    Bachelor of Commerce -Information Systems (BCom.-IS)
    •    Bachelor of Science in Applied Information Technology (BSc.-AIT)
    •    Bachelor of Science in Multimedia & Animation (BSc-MMA)
    •    Master of Business Administration (MBA)
    •    Master of Science in Information Technology (MSc.-IT)

nangonzi@observer.ug