KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Ugandan government has expressed its gratitude to the European Union (EU) for its support towards the country’s education sector. Speaking at a send-off ceremony for 17 Ugandan students awarded Erasmus+ scholarships to study in Europe, State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo hailed the EU for its unwavering support.
“A lot of potential has been identified in you, but after getting this opportunity, remember to be Uganda’s ambassadors. Carry our flag very high. When you finish your studies, please remember to come back; remember where you came from. It is fine to get a greener pasture, but it is also cheating for you to have your capacity built and you don’t bring it back to share with your friends back home,” Muyingo urged the students.
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The EU’s support, he noted, has helped develop human capital in Uganda and provided young graduates with international education experience, giving them a competitive edge in the job market. “I wish to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the European Union for its unwavering support to Uganda in many fields, particularly education. This support has helped in human capital development in Uganda, and we are really grateful,” he said.
The 17 students, who were selected from various fields, will pursue graduate studies in several European universities, including Austria, Greece, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden.
“These scholarships are a blessing to Uganda because they provide the young graduates with an opportunity to gain international education experience, which gives them an advantage in the competitive job competition,” he added.
The EU Ambassador to Uganda, Jaden Sadek, reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s development agenda, particularly in education. “This year, we have 17 Ugandan students that have a chance to extend their studies in Europe, with 11 receiving direct scholarships from the EU,” he said. “In addition to Erasmus, and as part of the global gateway Africa-Europe Investment package; and youth mobility for Africa global gateway flagship, EU wants to support African integration, providing learning opportunities within Africa to leverage investment in knowledge and innovation,” he added.
Ambassador Sadek also highlighted the EU’s support for education skills development in Uganda, revealing that the EU recently launched a new Euros 112 million program geared at promoting education for adolescent girls in 200 schools in Uganda. “We are supporting several education skills development in Uganda, and recently launched a new Euros 112 million program geared at promoting education for adolescent girls in 200 schools in Uganda,” he said. “The EU’s launch of a youth sounding board in Uganda last year is part of our mission to foster a stronger dialogue between youth from across the country and the EU.”
