ARU Delegation led by the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe (Ashoka Fellow) and other participants at the China -Africa Symposium.

African Rural University, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe (Ashoka Fellow has made a clarion call on the need to transcend and have  a common vision  in the quest for national, regional, and international development. He made the remarks while addressing diverse participants   at the China-Africa Lecture at Silver Spring Hotel, Bugolobi, Kampala on 7/3/2024.

Speaking under theme ; “China and Africa: A Fine Traditional Culture and Modernization, Dr Mwalimu noted that having a shared vision enables people work towards a common goal thus promoting development with a ubuntu mentality ; “I am because we are” According to Dr. Mwalimu, African Rural University realized this long time ago and a result, designed its educational model based on the Visionary Approach whose orientation is from problem solving.

Visionary Education at ARU

The visionary approach permits genuine democratic participation by  people and communities in development activities, thereby improving their ownership and leadership of development processes. In the methodology, people are accepted as protagonists in the development process; and as such they:
a) engage in determining what truly matters to them, their families, and community;
b) formulate a clear vision of what they want to create in light of their current situations; and
c) use the discrepancy between what they have and what they want in order to make informed choices on how to meet their aspirations.

In sharp contrast to traditional approaches to development, where people are treated as the object of development, the visionary approach treats people as the subject of development.

Additionally, he noted that African Rural University  in its unique curriculum recognizes that rural people are a repository of valuable knowledge and information that can be used to improve their livelihoods and a such ;ARU works with traditional wisdom specialists  who are professors without papers as co-facilitators in the Education Model alongside conventional lecturers and professors . These specialists  integrate traditional wisdom and its associated technologies into the curriculum and teaching practices at ARU.

Moving forward, Dr Mwalimu He urged   China to work with ARU as a unique university  in documenting the work of traditional wisdom specialists  most especially in the area of philosophy .

On the way forward for China-Africa relations, he cited also cited Renaissance, technology and diplomacy as three fundamental areas  for collaboration between China and Africa adding that; trust, honesty, love, integrity, and accountability are essential for  strong relationships and successful development partnerships.

Learning from China’s Resilience

Dr. Musheshe also commended China’s consistent and resilient approach to development, suggesting that Uganda and other African nations can learn valuable lessons from China’s path

Other topics discussed by  Keynote participants include the need for   Mindset Change , Radical and Social Transformation by Counsel Ssemambo,  Embracing Indigenous Culture and Language by Dr Shirley Yu |  the Vice President  of the China-Africa Institute

ARU  delegation  at the China -Africa Symposium   was  led by the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mwalimu Musheshe (Ashoka Fellow), and ARU Senior Lecturer, Dr. Allawi Ssemanda, along with the Academic Registrar- Anthony  Lwanga  Claret, the Faculty Dean-Dr. Jerome Ssengonzi , Mr. Varerious Ndagije , ARU University Secretary -Rose Keishanyu , Executive Assistant to the  ARU Vice Chancellor – Josephine Nampeewo  and three students namely; ARU Guild President; Jackline Katusabe, Atugonza Doreen and  Keviina Atuhairwe

More About China-Africa Symposium

The China-Africa Symposium is a platform for dialogue and collaboration between China and African nations. The lecture brings together development partners, academics, and government officials to share knowledge on issues like education, technology, and diplomacy. Chinese and African experts share their approaches to development and modernization. This cross-cultural exchange promotes mutual learning. The idea is to work together for a prosperous future for both China and Africa. The symposium was organised by Development Watch Centre (DWC) a non-profit registered think tank dedicated to analysis of Uganda’s Foreign Policy and Diplomacy in International milieux with focus on China-Uganda Relations.

By Joseph Odoi