Ugandan tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia and his wife, Jyotsna, have established a 100-award scholarship program at Victoria University, Kampala, in honour of their late son, Rajiv.
The initiative was unveiled at the university’s ninth graduation ceremony at Speke Resort. Administrators described a fully funded package aimed at high performers progressing to advanced study and professional tracks.
The awards will run under the Rajiv Ruparelia Bursary, structured to cover tuition for selected students based on merit and published criteria set by the university. The program formalises a philanthropic pathway the family has used across education and health projects and adds scale to Victoria University’s push to lift postgraduate throughput.
Rajiv, a visible figure in the group’s hospitality and education assets, died in a road accident on 3 May 2025. The bursary channels that loss into a pipeline for capable students who might otherwise stall for lack of finance. For the university, a 100-seat scheme is a headline offer in a crowded market of public and private institutions competing for top quartile talent.
Sudhir Ruparelia framed the scholarships as a bet on human capital: keep strong candidates in-country, move them into higher-level training and build cohorts that can plug skills gaps in technology, health, finance and tourism. University leaders said the bursary will run on fixed timelines with clear selection rules, audited processes and public reporting on each cohort.
The program also reinforces the group’s education portfolio. Victoria University, part of the Ruparelia Group, has leaned on industry links, flexible delivery and work placements to differentiate.
With the scholarships, the school adds a funding lever that attracts high performers without shifting costs to households already stretched by inflation. Employers get deeper candidate pools and a route to sponsor capstone projects or internships tied to scholarship recipients.
Founded in 2013, Victoria University has evolved into one of Uganda’s premier private higher education providers, offering diverse programs across business, engineering, humanities, law, education, and health sciences. Today’s ceremony celebrates not just academic triumphs but the resilience and innovation of a new generation ready to propel national development. Graduates, hailing from varied backgrounds, represent a surge in enrollment that reflects the university’s emphasis on digital transformation and practical skills training—essentials for thriving in a tech-driven job market.
Dr. Harriet Mimi Uwineza, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Chairperson of the Graduation Publicity Committee, captured the electric atmosphere: “Please join us as we honour excellence and create memories that last a lifetime.” Her words echo the university’s official statement, which hailed the occasion as a tribute to “dedication, excellence, and hard work.”
Excitement ripples through the graduand community. Mugisha Isaac, a proud member of the Class of 2025, shared his elation: “Excited to be part of the graduating class of 2025. Thank you for shaping our future! With God, all things are possible.” Fellow graduate Ssebadduka Trevor extended congratulations to peers, while Bernard Kwiringira Japhali thanked stakeholders: “Kudos to every stakeholder for making this journey possible.” Barbie Taicy, voicing a collective sigh of relief, noted: “The long-awaited date has finally been communicated.”
