STUDY PLAN FOR A MASTERS DEGREE COURSE IN ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING (MSEE).
I am a Ugandan energy engineer in the field of electrical engineering. Currently I am
employed with Uganda Industrial Research Institute where I work as an electrical engineer
though I have other qualifications in the field of oil and gas operations. I have been employed
with the same institute for the last three years thus have gathered a lot of experience in the
field of electrical and renewable greener energies.
I have attended international academic and training courses in Oil and gas, Hydropower
systems maintenance and Biogas and I believe that given chance to attend to the above
masters degree course I will be of added value for better service of to Uganda and the world
at large.
For the last four years, I have been an electrical Engineer for a Ugandan government
organisation by name Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) dealing with three phase
and single phase machine installation. During this time I have also worked as a part-time
instructor at a local college by name African College of Commerce and Technology (ACCT)
where I have been handling Diploma students in Electrical and Mechanical departments
teaching them in course units by names Electrical Engineering Science (EES) and Electrical
workshop practice and Principles.
I choose this masters degree course at Xian Jiatong University because the university has a
good reputation science and technology. Uganda being a young nation in as far as harnessing
energy potentials, this course will see me in position to compete for high technical positions
that will see me lead, guide and spearhead and mobilise to see my country Uganda make use
of its unharnessed electrical energy potentials.
My major interest in the course above (Master of Science in Electrical Engineering) is to get
much knowledge and skills in the sector electrical engineering back home in Uganda so as to
help it become one of the top energised countries on the African continent. During this
course, I will focus my attention on the power generation, Transmission and Distribution. In
Uganda there is a total primary energy consumption of 0.0593 quadrillion Btu which equals
14.94 Mio. tons of oil equivalent (2012).Biomass is still the most important source of energy
for the majority of the Ugandan population. About 90% of the total primary energy
consumption is generated through biomass, which can be separated in firewood (78.6%),
charcoal (5.6%) and crop residues (4.7%). Electricity is contributing only 1.4% to the
national energy balance while oil products, which are mainly used for vehicles and thermal
power plants, account for the remaining 9.7%. Concerning electricity generation, Uganda has
an installed capacity of 822 MW, mostly consisting of hydropower (692 MW; 84%). Access
to electricity in 2013 at national level in Uganda is very low with 15% (1991: 5.6%; 2006:
9%; 2010: 10%) but only 7% in rural areas. Uganda currently has one of the lowest per capita
electricity consumption in the world with 215 kWh per capita per year (Sub-Saharan Africas
average: 552 kWh per capita, World average: 2,975 per capita). The above statistic is an
indicator on how my country Uganda is still struggling with scarcity of electricity. Having

focused of the generation, transmission and supply of electricity will help me realise my
dream and will of lighting, Uganda and Africa at large.
Wood fuels are largely used for cooking in rural areas of Uganda while charcoal mostly
provides for the cooking needs of the urban population. High demand for wood fuels used
inefficiently results in overuse and depletion of forests. In 2012, 14.1% of Ugandas land area
was covered with forest. The land available is becoming scarce and households prefer to use
the land for food crops rather than planting trees. This has exerted a lot of pressure on nature
bringing about an imbalance in the countries ecosystem. Since 1990 the forested area
decreased from 49,240 km down to 29,880 km. This means that from 1990 until 2010 more
than 19,360 km, equalling 39 % of the existing forest disappeared. Currently about 90,000
hectares (equals 900 km) of forest cover are lost annually, which leads to fuel wood scarcity
in rural areas and increasing price levels of charcoal and fuel wood. Between 2005 and 2008
the charcoal price rose at an enormous nominal rate of 14% per year. In addition, illegal
cutting of trees increases. The production of charcoal is carried out under primitive conditions
with an extremely low efficiency at 10 to 12% on weight-out to weigh-in basis and an
efficiency rate on calorific value basis at 22%. If I focus my research in the generation section
of Electrical Engineering, I will help Uganda deliver sustainable environmental friendly form
energy and hence pressure relief on the national and privately owned forests.
China has taken a huge milestone in as far as advancing its economy, social welfare and the
general well being of its citizens is concerned. This is credited to good political leadership
and technical leadership that have ensured harnessing the potential energy resources
paramount. The generated energy has seen the sprout of various industries which have
employed the local population hence the economical mushrooming we have seen in the last
two decades. Getting a chance to attend the above scholarship will help me borrow a leaf
from the Chinese model of Energy management and development, get a way of applying it in
our system for the betterment of my national energy development.
In 2015 May-July, I had a chance to attend a training course in Biogas technology hosted by
Biogas Institute of the ministry of Agriculture (BIOMA) of China based in Chengdu city in
Sichuan province. It was amazing how people treasured their culture, history and were
hospitable. One may wonder how they have been able to balance it with the modernity in
their cities. My connection and love for the rich Chinese culture brings a special attachment
to my heart and soul which makes me a proud ambassador of China wherever I go.
Finally after the course (Master of Science in Electrical Engineering), I will come back to
Uganda to work towards the development of the Ugandan energy sector and the Africa at
large.

ARINDA SAM,
Electrical engineer, UIRI.