CUHAS-Bugando clocks 15 years with 645 graduates

What you need to know:

  • Over 600 students in various health fields have now graduated from the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS), 15 years since the varsity started, with only 10 students.
  • CUHAS is now finalizing the construction of a modern library that would accommodate 600 students at once, as part of the wider plans to strengthen its programs in undergraduate and post graduate studies.

Mwanza. A total of 645 students in various health fields have graduated from the Mwanza-based Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS), which is 15 years since the varsity, by then a constituent of St Agustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), started, with only 10 students.

CUHAS Vice Chancellor Prof. Paschalis Rugarabamu said at the university’s 11th graduation ceremony that the number of graduates has increased by 54 percent. Last year, he said, the number of those who graduated was 419.

Professor Rugarabamu said 42 per cent of the graduates are females, signifying that the university is making headway in achieving gender balance, with the vision of attaining a 50:50 ratio.

He said the students have successfully qualified for the award of degrees and diplomas in various fields this year and that CUHAS was now implementing grand projects to boost education services.

The university is now finalizing the construction of a modern library that would accommodate 600 students at once, as part of the wider plans to strengthen its programs in undergraduate and post graduate studies.

“We now want to strengthen our collaboration with regional hospitals such as Sekou Toure, Sengerema Designated Hospital and Shinyanga Regional Hospital. Opportunities arising from this collaboration will put us closer to the communities we serve and get us to understanding their problems,” said Prof Rugarabamu.

Excellence in research

This year’s graduation ceremony was preceded by the CUHAS-Bugando Graduation Scientific Conference held in Mwanza city; during which medical students and senior academic staff presented their papers, under the theme: One Health Research at Bugando. Is our approach on the right track?

Speaking on the theme, CUHAS’ Deputy Vice Chancellor- academic, research and consultancy (DVC-ARC), Professor Stephen Mshana told The Citizen that the theme sought to address a growing trend of Anti-Microbial Resistance(AMR) in Tanzania and around the world, which the university has been advocating for years now.

“We, as the university are contributing to the country’s current plan to fight resistant bugs. We are encouraging students to research widely on this problem and, we are now rolling out various projects where we will work with the government,’’ he said.

CUHAS, formerly a constituent college SAUT, is located at Bugando Hill, within the Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) premises in Mwanza.