Kampala — UGANDA is expected to receive funding from a new project aimed at strengthening sciences and engineering capacity in Africa.

So far, three networks of African universities have been awarded a grant of $800,000 each for the purpose. They are in South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania but also involve universities in eight other African countries.

The two-and-a half year grants are provided by the Regional Initiative in Science and Education (RISE), an organisation that seeks to increase the number of skilled scientists and engineers teaching at Africa's universities. It is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Princeton-based Science Initiative Group.

Some Ugandan universities will feature in the next batch of beneficiaries slated for October, Thomas Egwang, director of the African Academy of Sciences in Nairobi, told Saturday Vision

"Two more networks will be announced later and Uganda will be in both of them," Egwang said.

He described the RISE initiative as "a welcome shot in the arm for science and technology training in African universities."

According to the press statement released yesterday, a competition was held that was open to proposals in the basic or applied sciences and engineering.