EJUST’s Prof. Tamer Nasr Visits CoVAB to Explore Partnerships and Joint Research
Professor Tamer Nasr from the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) visited the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB) at Makerere University from 1st to 4th February 2026 to explore partnership opportunities. His visit began on Monday, 2nd February 2026, with a courtesy call to the Principal of COVAB, received by the Deputy Principal, Prof. James Acai Okwe, who formally welcomed him to the college.
Professor Tamer Nasr interacted with the Dean of the School of Veterinary and Animal Resources (SVAR), Prof. Robert Tweyongyere, with whom they held discussions on potential areas of collaboration in academic training, student exchange, and joint research initiatives. The meeting emphasized the importance of leveraging both institutions’ strengths to advance veterinary education and biosecurity research.
Led by the Deputy Principal, Professor Tamer Nasr embarked on a guided tour of COVAB’s state‑of‑the‑art research facilities, accompanied by Maria Tumwebaze, and he visited key laboratories including the Research Centre for Tropical Diseases and Vector Control (RTC Lab), the Centre for Global Biosecurity and Bio molecular Technology (CeBioTech), the Influenza laboratory, and the Pathology unit. The tour offered him firsthand insight into the College’s research capacity, ongoing projects, and the infrastructure supporting innovation in veterinary medicine and public health.
Prof. Nasr expressed admiration for the breadth of work being undertaken and emphasized the potential for joint projects that could combine E‑JUST’s advanced equipment with COVAB’s rich field research environment, thereby creating a strong foundation for impactful collaboration.
Prof. Nasr further delivered a presentation on E‑JUST’s research interests and prospects for collaboration to several participants, highlighting E‑JUST’s research focus, the results of the JICA Type 2 project, and engaged in discussions on future collaboration opportunities with staff and students of the College.
Throughout his visit, Prof. Nasr highlighted E‑JUST’s advanced facilities, supported by JICA, government funding, incubators, and industry partnerships. He emphasized opportunities for collaboration in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, and pathobiology, and shared examples such as the development of jojoba oil for wound healing in partnership with a Japanese company. Discussions underscored the importance of joint training programmes, student and staff exchanges, and collaborative grant applications.
Both institutions expressed commitment to working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support undergraduate, postgraduate, and postdoctoral training, while leveraging the strengths of both universities’ facilities for impactful research.
Story by Harriet Musinguzi
