The Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Venansius Baryamureba has said Makerere University is ready to partner with the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent US Federal Agency to establish an Advanced Materials Research Institute which NSF wants in Africa.

Makerere Vice Chancellor, Prof. Venansius Baryamureba

He was meeting a team from the NSF which visited Makerere University yesterday as part ofefforts to seek appropriuate universities for International Material Institutes and Materials World Network activities with many African countries.

with a total annual budget of 7billion dollars. The agency is the steward for US University based research and training of a globally competitive workforce.

Dr. Zakya H. Kafafi, Divisional Director NSF who also led the team  says they are in Uganda to explore the possibilities of developing an advanced materials institute between US and Africa.

“We would like to start with one country then rotate to other countries in the African continent so as to give exposure to the entire continent starting next year,” she said

Kafafi underscored the use of scientific methods in some countries to address major challenges faced by the continent such as linking quality higher education to: national innovation systems; agricultural sciences and technology; water resources and management and sanitation; health science and wellbeing; the science of climate change; development and utilization of renewable energies; materials science; promoting and facilitating the development and growth of nano science and technologies.

“NSF is very interested in supporting activities to create a highly stimulating intellectual environment, where advanced African and US students jointly engage in collaborative learning of specialized materials research concepts, focused on energy and sustainability.” Dr. Kafafi further stressed.

Other members in the delegation included  Prof. Sossina M. Haile – Professor of Materials Science and of Chemical Engineering, CALTECH; Peter Green – Professor and Department Chair, Materials Science & Engineering, University of Michigan; and Simon J. L. Billinge – Professor of Applied Physics, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Columbia University. Also accompanying the team was Prof. Tom Otiti, Department of Physics , Faculty of Science, Makerere University.