By Jimmy Siyasa

Uganda Christian University has taken a significant step onto the global stage of medical ethics scholarship. The University now hosts an established Unit of the International Chair in Bioethics (ICB) and it is the only active Chair of its kind in Uganda.

A seat in a worldwide network

The ICB is an independent international organisation that coordinates a worldwide network of institutions advancing education, teaching and training in medical ethics and bioethics. Its standing is recognised by leading international bodies, including through a cooperation agreement with the World Medical Association (WMA).

This membership connects the University to a community of scholars and institutions spanning continents, opening practical opportunities for collaboration, academic exchange, structured training and joint scholarship. Faculty and students alike gain access to conversations, curricula and research partnerships that would otherwise sit far beyond reach.

Why it matters for Uganda

Bioethics asks the questions that sit at the difficult intersection of medicine, research, law and human dignity. Who gives consent, and how freely? How is research conducted among vulnerable populations? What obligations does a clinician carry when resources are scarce?

These are not abstract concepts. They shape hospital wards, laboratories and policy rooms across the country every day. As Uganda’s only active Chair, the UCU Bioethics Unit places the University at the forefront of bioethics education and research ethics nationally with both the opportunity and the responsibility to help shape how these questions are answered.

Leadership of the Unit

The Unit is headed by Mr. Osborn Ahimbisibwe, who also chairs its Steering Committee. Other members are:

– Dr. Sylvia Nabukenya
– Dr. Edward Mukooza
– Prof. Charles Karamagi
– Dr. Mushin Nsubuga
– Ms. Phionah Twesigomwe
– Ms. Asiimire Arinaitwe
– Dr. Elizabeth Namukombe Ekong
– Dr. Harriet Nankya

Together they bring expertise drawn from medicine, public health, research administration and the ethical disciplines; a deliberately broad base for a field that is equally broad.

The Unit’s work belongs to the whole University, not to a single faculty. Students, teaching staff and administrative colleagues across every discipline are warmly invited to engage with its activities, whether through training sessions, research collaboration or simply by bringing hard questions to the table.

Watch this space for details of the Unit’s forthcoming activities.