Energy efficiency programmes help businesses, manufacturers, nonprofits, schools and local governments reduce energy and improve energy efficiency-resulting in lower energy costs.

Considering the scenario of ever increasing energy needs in our country in particular and at the global level in general, in terms of convectional and non-convectional energy resources, it is realized that in order to foster, promote and sustain scientific research in all spheres of energy, better utilization and conservation of the existing energy sources, inter-disciplinary approach would be the most appropriate option.

Secondly, access to affordable clean energy is indispensable to the economic vitality of the nation, the health of its inhabitants, and the biodiversity of the planet. its pervasive influence on all aspects of human activity, determines the range of opportunities in which Ugandans can participate, from local to global.

in the perspective of sustainable development, global climate change is perhaps the largest environmental challenge of our time, and is tightly linked to our use of energy. the sound and efficient use of our energy resources is imperative if we are to address this problem.

The department of Energy Science and Technology aims to develop skills and technical expertise with a focus of sustainable production, conservation and utilization of the existing energy sources through inter-disciplinary approaches.

Mission

The mission is to motivate, encourage and develop scientific manpower through innovative academic training and endeavors for national growth and global needs in Energy Science

Vision

To foster and promote scientific research in all spheres of energy across pure, applied and educational horizons.

Mandate

  • It will develop an interactive forum across its international affiliates that will enabled new collaboration to blossom in this area, and both new energy framework and technological advances to be achieved.
  • FEEMS and DEST will be instrumental in developing new courses and providing information about energy- related curricula for undergraduate and graduate students
  • Through seminars, and symposia and virtual media, DEST will also help broader community to understand the complexities of transforming our nation’s energy generation in coming decades.

Goals

  • To attain a stature of center of excellence with self-reliance in Energy Studies
  • To set up partnership in R&D projects with national laboratories in Materials for Energy Devices
  • To initiate interactive linkages with leading technological institutions within the country and abroad.
  • To foster and strengthen industrial consultancy services
  • To support innovative academic programs for the training of scientific personnel for our national and global needs in Science, industry and Education.

Linkage of department to FEEMS and MUBS

DEST was envisioned to become a “one-stop shop” for all energy programs at MUBS

DEST will play several critical roles in and for the university, including, but not limited to:

  • Providing an informal forum for researchers to share ideas and interest on Energy through a center that will be called MUBS Energy studies center
  • DEST will be critical in developing new, interdisciplinary research and educational programs that cut across traditional school.
  • Showcasing MUBS’s wide and deep energy portfolio.
  • Developing and coordinating undergraduate and graduate courses in energy across the university.
  • Providing seed money to clusters of researchers to develop new, fundable research programs from external agencies.
  • Providing support for undergraduate interns to conduct energy-related research during internship time.

Providing information to the public and to public and to local governments and political representatives about sustainable growth and energy production.

Research Areas

The broad research areas includes;

  • Biomass energy
  • Hybrid energy system
  • Energy conservation and efficiency
  • Energy-environment interaction
  • Energy modeling and planning
  • Energy materials
  • Energy systems
  • Waste to energy

Proposed academic programmes by academic year 2018/19

The department plans to develop and run both undergraduate and graduate programmes in the areas of Energy Science and Technology.

The proposed programmes are;

  • Bachelor of Science in Energy Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Energy Use and Energy Planning
  • Bachelor of Science in Sustainable and Renewable Energy
  • Bachelor of Science Energy Engineering
  • Bachelor of Oil and Gas Accounting
  • Bachelor of Oil and Gas Law
  • Bachelor of Oil AND Petroleum Management
  • Bachelor of Geology Pipelines for Business
  • Master of Science in Energy Technology
  • Master of Sustainable Energy

Department future: vision and actions for the next five years:

We envision developing a major center for energy studies at MUBS, of which a core theme will be related to energy production/storage and developing alternative catalysts for energy intensive processes important to agriculture. For example:

  • Renewable energy source management i.e. solar electricity
  • Research on energy production, pricing and wastage
  • Using energy to revamp agriculture
  • The politics energy resources

Action for the next 12 months

The efforts above will get the department lift off will begin with

  • Submission of a center of excellence grant as well as a multi-investigator proposal to energy studies.
  • Hiring academic staff in the area of energy studies
  • Proposal and designing of Degree in energy
  • Encouraging inter-disciplinary and inter faculty research on energy at MUBS
  • Organizing the MUBS Energy Forum and drawing up plans for the MUBS center for Energy studies