Two of our MSc students have entered the Dell Education Challenge. Help them get to the semifinal voting for them on the challenge website. Help empower these two promissing scientists make their idea of promoting science among children a reality.
note: I think you have to register to vote for them. Please, take a few minutes to do it and help us out.
In case someone new to this blog arrives to this post, let me introduce ourselves. The Kampala International University is a non-for-profit private tertiary institution with base in Uganda. It has campuses in Kampala (capital of Uganda), Ishaka (Western Uganda) and Dar-es-Salam (largest city in Tanzania). The person typing the keys is the director of the Institute of Biomedical Research that KIU recently created at the School of Health Sciences in Ishaka.
Our efforts are focussed in providing facilities, training and support to local researchers so they can develop their research agendas aimed to alleviate Africa’s disease burden. In these efforts, we are open to collaborations with any institution that values the social impact that science and scientists can have. their role in the development of low and middle income countries. Below you can find information about a call that could help us pursue our goals together with yours.
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=204133
Let’s try to organize our efforts in this matter… Any initiative to help out setting up the Institute of Biomedical Research should be communicated via mail to amigosdeibruganda(at)gmail.com.
Even though it is one of the human inventions that more troubles brings to my phylosophical mind, what we need the most, and it is in addition the easiest thing to move around, is money. Donations will be done via one of the following mechanisms:
In future posts I will develop some fundraising ideas that I already mentioned in the most popular post of the blog. The pen-recycling squad is already shaping up in Spain and we will soon explain how to join. These campaigns are usually country-specific, so feel free to start something similar wherever you are. All posts concerning donations and fundraising will have the “paticipation” tag so they are easier to find. Don’t forget to take a look to the initial post to see if tehre is anything you can do.
Now, about general use materials. I think we have paper and folders covered for a while with a couple of those efficient women that populate my life. We could use some pens, white board markers and eraser, post-it packs, memory sticks, external hard disks, and a screw-driver and a torch. All these things could be obtained here and sending them overseas would be more expensive than the value they have. Keep them only if I can take them with me somehow, or if they can be sent with a more valuable shipment.
The following will be a list of priorities, the things in which we would spend the money if we had any. Tese are the same priorities for anything you might be able to find in a lab or warehouse. The golden rule is that you should only ship things that are valuable enough to make the costs of the delivery a worthy investment. DHL seems to be the chosen courier from UK. Not sure about the US but I imagine is the same. ask before sending anything because it is necessary to include a phone number as a contact. Any package should CLEARLY state that it contains donations for the Kampala International University. In the surprising case that you get quite a few things, we shall pool together everything coming from Europe to make one single (more affordable) shipment. The base camp will be Huesca. Castellón and Zaragoza will also be delivery points. Things coming from the States, at the moment, will be handled from San Diego. If this gets bigger, we will see what is more convenient. Do not hesitate to e-mail if you have ANY question (amigosdeibruganda(at)gmail.com. I am going to do a trip to Spain in a few weeks and also in December. I can bring things in my luggage then. I will (most probably) be in San Diego at the end of May, maybe in New York a few weeks later.
So, the list:
and I am sure I am leaving something out… THANK YOU!!!
PS: You can now check out the Institute on the website of KIU-Western Campus.
We finally are a tab on the website of the Western Campus of the Kampala International University. Yujuuuuuuu!!!!!
Vision
The Institute of Biomedical Research wants to develop and maintain a leadership role in the region's biomedical research scene.
Mission Statement
The IBR is a platform for the empowerment of women and men of diverse background who want to excel as socially responsible scientists and is dedicated to the promotion, development and delivery of excellence in biomedical research within all aspects of healthcare.
The IBR aims to provide leadership that inspires local professors and students to develop their research programs in a collaborative environment. The primary intellectual and research concerns of the Institute are the areas of Neurobiology, Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Epidemiology and Clinical Studies.
Core Values
Goals of the IBR
Be a world class institution that provides high-quality facilities and education programs to impact the knowledge of women and men of all races.
Advance the frontiers of learning and break new grounds, using research as a tool for teaching, and for the creation and dissemination of knowledge of the highest quality.
Empower local researchers in the establishment of their own research groups that address the scientific questions that are more urgent for Africa and its people.
Create a platform where highly qualified professionals find the facilities and support they need to develop their career in a socially responsible manner, driving their research project by the needs of the region and impacting the quality of life of those surrounding them.
Establish a transparent management system that attracts funds from international cooperation agencies and scientific societies.
Enhance capacity building through education and training, in order to meet the needs and challenges of the 21st century in Africa.
Establish and fasten the promotion of African tradition, culture and scientific knowledge.
