On Monday, March 17, 2026, the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) hosted a distinguished delegation from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa; in a milestone event dedicated to advancing academic collaboration. This engagement serves as a strategic catalyst to operationalize the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions, creating a robust framework for actionable research, joint academic ventures, enhanced teaching and learning, aimed at delivering world-class results.

The NMU delegation was led by Prof. Shervani Pillay, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, accompanied by distinguished scholars Prof. Mathabo Khau and Prof. William Zivanayi. The visit underscored a shared vision intended to create a dynamic, internationalized African academic landscape that prioritizes innovation and community development.

As a premier center for management and administration, UMI’s Director General, Prof. James Nkata, provided a strategic overview of the Institute’s multifaceted mandate. He emphasized UMI’s evolution into a research led institution, highlighting its role in bolstering management capacity across the public and private sectors through its specialized schools of Governance, Business, Management Sciences, and Distance Learning.

“Our focus remains steadfast on developing leadership that is both locally grounded and globally competitive,” Prof. Nkata remarked, as he pledged full institutional support for joint doctoral supervisions and collaborative research projects with the South African counterparts. Other strategic pillars of collaboration in the dialogue between the two institutions focused on several critical pillars designed to elevate the standard of postgraduate education on the continent and advance consolidated research, academic excellence and joint ventures to sustain high academic standards