NUI Blog - Northrise University Initiative

by Godfrey Mpala

Name: Brian Chipasha
Program: Bachelor of  Business Administration (BBA).
Level: Third Year student

Before I came to Northrise University (NU) I was studying for my Diploma in Community Development. When I completed my program, I thought it was time to join Northrise University. I had always desired to be at Northrise University because a lot of people recommended it to me praising the quality education it offers and the Christian values it is deeply rooted in. In 2008, my dream became a reality.

In the three years at Northrise, I have gained substantial business knowledge, with which, I’m confident of adding value to my family, our nation and the world. The empowerment from NU is life itself because; beyond the career I’m being shaped for, my spiritual life is being enriched. Every Monday morning, I’m privileged to sit down in chapel and hear the Word of God. Through that, I have learnt how to relate with other people and I now have the confidence to share the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ with others.

Continuing with my education would have been very difficult but thanks to NU for the wonderful Financial Aid Program. The program is aimed at rendering financial assistance to students for part of their tuition. In addition, the lunch offered at NU is heavily subsidized enabling me to afford a meal everyday when I’m in school.

The team at Northrise is just great; I mean they meet my needs, spiritually, academically and financially. With such a team, I know that I will be able to attain my life’s main goal, which is, to get a PhD in Business Administration with a major in International Economics. That way I can become an international business management specialist and bring about the change I so desire in my society.

Dr. Moffat Zimba is the featured Alumni at Fuller Theological Seminary. Follow this link to check it out!

Fuller Theological Seminary – Alumni in Action

Empowering Zambians Through Education

Growing up in Zambia, Moffat Zimba (DMin ‘99) and his wife Doreen experienced the hardship of scarce educational opportunities in their country. As early as 1988the couple dreamed of opening a university …

Northrise’s 8th Annual Auction Banquet was held this past Sunday at the Crevier Classic Car Showroom in Costa Mesa, California. 320 people gathered for a night of fellowship, dinner, auction bidding and fun to raise funds in support of Northrise. Moffat and Dorren were there to share about what is going on in Zambia. Three 2008 Northrise graduates, Agness, Banji, and Godfrey woke up at 3 am Zambian time to prepare for a live Skype call broadcast during the event. The guests were able to see and hear from them first hand, how Northrise University has changed their lives for the better. A net of $125,000 was raised at the event, with 100% of these funds being sent directly to support Northrise in Zambia! To God be the Glory!

Dr. Mutesa is Northrise University’s Academic Dean. He joined Northrise University in June 2009.  The media team were privilaged to steal a few moments of his time and here is some of what he had to say…

Why did you choose to come to Northrise?
Northrise University offers a unique learning environment. First and foremost, NU is a Christ centered learning institution which helps Christians to grow their faith. Secondly, NU offers excellent academic standards. Northrise enables you to not only grow spiritually, but also excel academically.

What do you think about NU (as the Academic Dean) so far?
NU is increasingly gaining recognition as the leading private university in Zambia. I suppose this is because of its excellent facilities and rigorous academic standards. We have been reciving positive feedback from organizations that employ our graduates and I think this has led to increased confidence in what we are doing.

What do you like the most about your job?
I like the interaction with different people. We have students drawn from all parts of the country and Ndola city in particular. This diversity presents a unique opportunity to gain insight into the different worldviews people hold and this makes learning interesting and fun.

What do you look forward to seeing at NU in the future?
We will open a Faculty of Sustainable Agriculture in 2012. This will act as a catalyst for the diversification of the economy away from copper to agriculture. The benefits are numerous and I pray that I will be there to see this happen.

How do you hope to impact NU?
Christ taught us that we are all a key part in His Body. I am part of a larger team of very talented and dedicated faculty and staff. I hope that my work will be part of a larger effort to positively impact the lives of our students, community and world.

Dr. Mutesa comes to Northrise with many intellectual gifts and Northrise has truly appreciated his coming on board…

Saturday, the 8th of May 2010, Northrise Staff spent their entire day at the main campus on the farm grounds. This unusual gathering was intended for Northrise University to make room for storage for the equipment that is on its way to Zambia from the States. The day was started out with laughter and the mood was generally that of a social gathering… It was nice to see everyone show their muscles by lifting heavy stuff and just having fun in the process.  

2 PM was time for a break and everyone enjoyed the fellowship while barbecuing some steak. After lunch, the ladies gathered to take a rest and enjoy the breeze under some shade.  The men, as always, took the lead to pick up where it was left off and practically did most of the manual work in the afternoon. Before long, the afternoon was over and everyone was ready to head back home after a good all day exercise…

by Godfrey Mpala

by Duke Muchindu

Online Learning is a buzzword that has been around in the Technology world for some time now. Sadly, this buzzword is not so common to many African nations because the advancement of technology in Africa is at a very slow pace. Fortunately for Zambia, the government is now encouraging all sectors of the economy to integrate Information Communication Technology, commonly known as ICT, in their daily operations. The education sector has embraced this effort with open hands. The Minister of Information and Communication Technology recently announced that the E-learning Conference for Africa would be held in Zambia. This is an annual event that looks at advances that African countries have made in integrating ICT in all sectors of their economies.

Since its inception, Northrise University (NU) has integrated ICT in teaching, learning and research. January 2010 took this integration one step further; Northrise launched the first online learning programs. These are Professional diploma in Human Resources Management offered in conjunction with the Zambia Institute of Human Resource Management and a Certificate in Theology. The programs are delivered via NU’s Virtual Learning System (VLS). The program modules are designed for working professionals who do not have the time to leave work and engage in full time study. On their time and with Internet connectivity, they can earn their diplomas. It must be recognized here that Northrise is the first educational institute in Zambia to offer online learning in the true sense of the word. This is not distance learning but rather learning in a virtual classroom (online) where students are able to interact with their lecturers and fellow students in real-time.

“Am glad to be a part of this innovative approach to learning. This is the first of its kind in Zambia and am proud to be one of the first online students with a Zambian University” Victor Mulenga.

It’s hoped that as this innovation gains momentum and the Zambian public realize the convenience of online learning, Northrise will be their first choice. Online curricula are already under development for Bachelors programs in the School of Business and the Center for ICT.

by Isaac Banda

The Northrise University School of Business building (now fondly known as Kuhula House) is racing to the finish line and already looking crisp!  The building is a masterwork.  Kuhula House will have over 50 computers that will be networked. It will also house about 6 Local Area Network (LAN) enabled projectors. There will also be WIFI hot spots in most parts of the building for network connectivity and controlled Internet access.  Kuhula House is no doubt going to be the center of Northrise University’s continued “growth” (Kuhula), as the name translates in one of Zambia’s main dialects.

The past week saw the initiation of the laying of network cables. Over 1.5km of network cable was laid on Kuhula House. The cables have been ran underneath the concrete floor and are only visible at the end points. These will soon be wall jacks and wireless access points. A computer laden container is on its way to Zambia to further add quality to Kuhula House. To God be the glory!