BSU Financial Manager at DFC in Gulu for a Three-Day Working Visit

Tina Ziegler, Financial Manager at the Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC), has commenced a three-day working visit to Gulu University to engage with the management and implementation team of the Building Stronger Universities IV (BSU IV) project.

Ziegler began her visit on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, with a courtesy call on the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Gulu University, Prof. David Okello Owiny. She also met the BSU management team and work package leads, who briefed her on the implementation, achievements, and progress of the project.

Key areas of the visit include monitoring and evaluation of financial management-related issues, particularly those arising from the new general conditions governing the BSU project.
The discussions will also focus on the implementation of the grants management plan and related policies, budget changes linked to the consolidation plan, and financial cooperation among the BSU twinning partners in Rwanda and Kenya, including the University of Rwanda and Maseno University.

During the meeting, Prof. David Okello Owiny commended Gulu University for sustaining a long-standing partnership with the BSU programme, noting that the university has progressed through the programme from Phase One to Phase Four.

He highlighted the sustainability activities and plans already put in place by the university and expressed appreciation to the Danida Fellowship Centre for its continued financial support and for creating opportunities for collaboration that have contributed to the internationalisation of Gulu University.

Prof. Owiny noted that the BSU programme has strengthened both North-South and South-South partnerships. These include the North-South collaboration between the University of Copenhagen and Gulu University, as well as South-South partnerships involving the University of Rwanda, Maseno University, and Hargeisa University.

The Building Stronger Universities IV project is a DKK 70 million (approximately USD 10 million) programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
The project commenced in 2023 and will run until 2028.

The ambitious programme seeks to empower universities in East Africa by strengthening research-based training and learning, outreach, and administrative structures that support research at participating universities.

Under BSU IV, the programme focuses on four broad thematic areas:
• Lifelong Education and New Ways of Learning, including problem-based learning, hybrid learning, and e-learning.
• Sustainable Development and Climate Change Mitigation, focusing on innovation, education, and community engagement.
• Post-Conflict Policies and Practices, with emphasis on hosts and refugees and transitional justice.
• Health and Technologies, including health rights and changing gender relationships.

Gulu University has participated in earlier phases of the BSU programme since 2011. Through the various phases, the university has supported more than 27 PhD candidates, facilitated the approval of more than 15 policies, and supported the redesign of more than 15 academic programmes.

The BSU partnership has also contributed to strengthening staff capacity in project proposal development and research management. This capacity-building has helped Gulu University secure funding for major projects, including UPCHAIN, PBL Digital, and CONSCOVE.

Ziegler’s three-day visit is expected to provide an opportunity for Gulu University and the Danida Fellowship Centre to review financial management systems, strengthen compliance and grants management, and enhance coordination among the university’s BSU partners as the project moves towards achieving its 2028 objectives.