TotalEnergies Uganda and SLB have handed over specialized educational software and computer hardware to universities in the country. The support is aimed at enhancing the capacity of the universities to train and produce candidates with the relevant technical skills needed in Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
Among the universities that have benefited from this support are Makerere, Kyambogo, and Nkumba Universities, in a bid to boost their oil and gas training curricula. The donation aligns with TotalEnergies’ commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 regarding quality education, as well as their national commitments to skilling, capacity building, and support to Ugandan educational institutions.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Kampala, Philippe Groueix, the General Manager of TotalEnergies EP Uganda, said the company has placed great emphasis on supporting educational institutions in Uganda such as UPIK, Makerere, and Kyambogo Universities to develop the capacities required to train more Ugandans in oil and gas disciplines.
He added that this handover is aimed at augmenting this support in line with TotalEnergies’ commitments to national content development, youth inclusion, and education. Currently, over 1,500 Ugandans have been trained in various transferable technical skills with international certifications that enhance their employability both in Uganda and abroad, he added.
With this support, each institution has been provided with eight computer hardware stations comprising eight tower servers, sixteen monitors, and peripherals, with a total value exceeding USD 200,000 (over UGX 770,000,000). In the same vein, SLB has provided four specialized training software licenses Petrel, Techlog, Eclipse, and Petromod installed and configured on each computer hardware station.
Additionally, SLB will conduct training sessions for the respective university users in July 2025 to ensure effective utilization of the tools and will continue to renew the licenses annually.
Valerian Pfrimmer, Managing Director for East and South Africa at SLB, affirmed that by donating four of the industry leading software platforms, they aim to bridge the gap between classroom theory and field application. These platforms cover the full spectrum of exploration and production, which are essential to real-world operations.
He added that this will not only enhance petroleum geoscience and engineering education but also serve as a strategic enabler for national development.
Professor Juma Kasozi, representing the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Dr. John Okuonzi, representing the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University and Professor Jude Lubega, the Vice Chancellor of Nkumba University, all expressed gratitude to the companies for their support.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, represented by Betty Namubiru, the Manager of National Content at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda.
This initiative by TotalEnergies and SLB is a commendable step towards enhancing Uganda’s oil and gas sector. The provision of specialized software and hardware to universities like Makerere, Kyambogo, and Nkumba is a significant boost to their training capabilities. It’s impressive to see the commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, focusing on quality education. The training of over 1,500 Ugandans is a testament to the impact of such investments. However, I wonder how the selection process for the beneficiaries was conducted. Perhaps there are plans to extend this support to other universities in the future? Moreover, how will the effectiveness of this training be measured to ensure it meets the industry’s needs? It would be interesting to hear from the universities about their experiences and how they plan to integrate these resources into their curricula.
Wir haben libersave in unser regionales Gutscheinsystem eingebunden. Es ist toll, wie einfach man verschiedene Anbieter auf einer Plattform bündeln kann.