Officials from Ndejje (Uganda) University Visit SIUE to Expand Collaboration
For the anecdotical purposes of writing the next chapter in the exciting, ongoing partnership between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Ndejje University (NDE) in Kampala Uganda, two African delegates visited SIUE on Wednesday, March 31.
Saidah Mbooge Najjuma, PhD, dean of social sciences at NDE, and Mbooge Isa, government official and Mbooge Najjuma’s husband, held several informal meetings with SIUE administrators, faculty and students. Specifically, the delegates met with SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD; Mary Weishaar, PhD, executive director of the Office of International Affairs; and Kathryn Brady, PhD, associate professor of speech language pathology and audiology in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior.
SIUE and NDE signed a formal agreement in 2020 that focuses on student and faculty exchange. Other previous activity between SIUE and NDE includes:
- 2020 – Michelle Cathorall, DrPH, and Brady began pre-trip meetings with travel-study students in the spring. However, the trip was cancelled due to COVID.
- July 2019 – Dr. Brady took a second group of SIUE students to NDE on a travel study program.
- July 2018 – SIUE signed a Letter of Engagement with NDE; Cathorall and Brady took the first group students from the Public Health and Speech-Language Pathology programs to NDE on a travel study program.
During the travel study programs, SIUE and NDE students had the opportunity to visit public health and community organizations, and schools in the area to learn about Ugandan public health organizations, education, and potential needs in communication disorders, according to Weishaar.
“NDE is in the process of starting an undergraduate public health program, and they are extremely interested in internationalization in order to promote student and faculty exchanges,” added Weishaar. “They have also expressed interest in starting a speech-language pathology program.”
The Office of International Affairs builds and nurtures international education at SIUE through:
- Supporting and promoting international student and scholar success
- Opening the world to students through study abroad
- Enriching the campus through international collaboration
- Advancing global perspectives in the academic community
Photos:
SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook (right) gives a gift to Dr. Saidah Mbooge Najjuma, dean of social sciences at Ndejje University (NDE) in Uganda.
(L-R) Dr. Kathy Brady, Dr. Mary Weishaar, Pembrook, Mbooge Najjuma, Mbooge Isa and Dr. Denise Cobb.
