News and Events

IUIU Hosts a 1-Day Seminar on the Commercialization of Academic Research Initiative (CARI) Project

• 30th May, 2025 11:31am

On 28^th May 2025, the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) hosted a 1-day seminar in relation to the project, “Commercialisation of Academic Research Initiative (CARI)”. CARI is a project funded by the Government of Uganda through the Science, Technology, and Innovation Secretariat at the Office of the President (STI-OP) that aims to strengthen the capacity of Ugandan universities to produce a critical mass of fourth-industrial revolution-based enterprises to create jobs and wealth. IUIU is privileged to be among the five (05) pioneering Universities participating in this pilot project.

The seminar that took place at IUIU’s Kampala Campus in Kibuli, was well attended by over 25 participants both physical and online, including both Academic Managers (Deans, Deputy Deans, and Heads of Department), as well as heads of different key academic and administrative units, including; Academic Registry, Directors of Quality Assurance, Endowment, Research Publications and Innovations, Graduate Training, among several others.

The Vice Rector Academic Affairs (VRAA), Dr Jamil Serwanga, represented the Rector. Key project stakeholders in attendance included the Regional Universities Forum for capacity building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), which is the project implementing coordinator, and the Uganda Research Services Bureau (URSB). The seminar successfully achieved the following four objectives:

1. Shared RUFORUM’s experience and lessons learnt in supporting universities to commercialise academic research outputs.

2. Provided an industry-based perspective on the opportunities and processes for enhancing both the quality and quantity of commercially viable products and services derived from university research.

3. Facilitated the development of institutional-level strategies and structures aimed at increasing the production of commercially viable innovations from universities, with a focus on job creation for young people.

4. Enhanced understanding of intellectual property (IP), including its various forms and the complete IP management lifecycle, as well as the different modes of IP utilisation.

As an action point going forward, IUIU, through the Directorate of RPI and the CARI focal persons, will work towards the realisation of the various proposed interventions, such as the establishment of a unit specifically responsible for realizing commercialisation of academic research initiatives arising out of the different faculties and departments at IUIU. On their part, RUFORUM reiterated their commitment to continue working with IUIU on the national agenda of job creation and industrialisation of Uganda, through various academic and research initiatives. Additionally, URSB shared that they are moving towards the approach of bringing their services even closer to the clients (i.e., Universities, Businesses, etc), so that their clients can concentrate on their core technical competencies.

Dr Yahya Umar, Dean Faculty of Science (FOS), and Prof Taha El-Nour, Dean Faculty of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Sciences (FANRES), are IUIU’s focal persons in the CARI Project.