Facilitators & Team Members
1. Dr. Fred Chibwana – Team Leader & Secretary BCT
2. Dr. Richard Ochieng’– Chair, BCK
3. Dr. Jestina Katandukila – Chair, PL & CV Subcommittee
4. Dr. Brown Mwakalapa – Secretary, PL & CV Subcommittee
5. Dr. Mary Nicholaus – Patron, MUST BCT Student Club
6. Mr. Nelson Tibashailwa – Patron, TEKU BCT Student Club
Background:
The University of Iringa is in the Iringa region and is run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. It was initially established in 1995 as a college offering diploma courses and later became a full-fledged university on October 25, 2013. The university offers diplomas, bachelor’s, and postgraduate degrees in various faculties, including the psychology department, our main departmental host. Our team arrived at the university around 9:45 am and we were welcomed by Dr. Mkumbo, the Director of the Consultancy Bureau who introduced us to the Head of the Psychology Department, Dr. Dorothy Lubawa.
A.Courtesy meeting with acting VC
1. Meeting with the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Iringa
We were warmly greeted by Associate Professor in Mathematics, Prof. Sauli Mbeshe – DVC -ARC, who was serving as the Acting Vice-Chancellor. During our meeting, we introduced the concept of Intelligent Design and BioCosmos Tanzania, which also included an overview of the BioCosmos student clubs, Dr. Fred Chibwana led this discussion. We also had the opportunity to share The Short Intelligent Design books, t-shirts, and branded BCT pens. Prof. Sauli showed a keen interest in the public lecture and emphasized the importance of providing more opportunities for knowledge acquisition and exposure for both the faculty and students. He assured us of the university’s full support for future initiatives related to raising awareness about intelligent design. Before concluding the meeting, Prof. Sauli permitted us to explore some of the university’s facilities and proceed with the public lecture.
B.University of Iringa Tour
The Team had the privilege of visiting the following interesting sites.
• Kiota Hub
A hub for fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, where students and community members receive hands-on training to develop the skills necessary to enter the job market and nurture their creativity. During our visit, we came across some intriguing products, such as honey-based wine and a digital crib that monitors infant body temperature.
• Psychology laboratory
During the briefing, we learned about a variety of psychological techniques that are utilized to assess, diagnose, and offer therapeutic interventions for individuals across all age groups, including students, faculty members and members of the neighboring community.
C.Public Lecture on Intelligent Design
We arrived at the conference hall where students had gathered with the lead of our university host, we started with a brief introduction of all team members present and proceeded with the presentations. About 500 students attended the lecture. Faculty members present included:
• 1. Prof. Falres Ilomo, Dean Faculty of Theology and Represented Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Research and Consultancy.
• 2. Dr. Doroth Lubawa, Head-Department of Psychology, Acting Dean
• 3. Dr. Mkumbo G. Mitula, Director of Consultancy Bureau.
• 4. Mr. Ngogo, N. Head of Unit, Counselling Psychology.
• 5. Mr. Baraka Tumsime – Head of Psychology laboratory
Throughout the public lecture, the hall was full of some students standing outside to follow the lecture with several students taking notes on the proceedings.
i.Background of BioCosmos Foundation
During the presentation, Dr. Chibwana provided a comprehensive overview of the founding principles, historical context, background and management of BioCosmos Africa and BioCosmos Tanzania, brief about the daughter foundations and past activities undertaken by the Foundation. He further elaborated the mission, vision and objectives of BioCosmos Foundation. Dr. Chibwana gave insight into the available training opportunities for Faculty members. He highlighted the need to launch the teaching of ID at the University and provided available options for teaching ID. Dr. Chibwana laid the ground for subsequent presentations that delved into the Theory of Intelligent Design.
ii.Place of Intelligent Design in the Question of the Origin of Life and the Universe:
During the lecture, Dr. Ochieng’ delved into the intricacies of the Intelligent Design theory urging the audience to expand their perspectives beyond conventional beliefs. To engage the students, Dr. Ochieng’ introduced a thought-provoking quiz challenge that prompted them to contemplate the origins of life and the universe.
The public lecture captured the following aspects:
• Definition of Intelligent Design
• Fine tuning of the Universe
• Modern Design Argument
• Irreducible complexity
• Complex and Specified Information
• Cambrian Explosion and gaps in fossil records
• Fossils & Reconstruction of Lucy
• Implications of Social Darwinism
iii.The Positive Case for Intelligent Design:
During the presentation, Dr. Jestina Katandukila provided a detailed explanation of the positive cases that illustrate the theories of Intelligent Design. Her presentation addressed the following cases:
• Explanation for positive case
• The 2-step process of a positive case
• Investigating The Positive Evidence for Design in Five Fields:
ü Biochemistry
ü paleontology
ü systematics (the relationships between organisms)
ü genetics, and
ü physics
• she further highlighted key examples such as the DNA, blood clotting and the bacterial flagellum, emphasizing how these instances serve to justify the concept of intelligent causation
iv.BioCosmos Tanzania Student Club Concept
During his presentation, Dr. Brown Mwakalapa provided an in-depth look into the process of establishing a student club, highlighting its various roles and emphasizing its importance to the students. He emphasized that the primary focus of the club should be academic, with a special emphasis on the concept of intelligent design.
During the public lecture presentation, various awards were presented to recognize the achievements of the students. Those who participated in the essay competition were acknowledged, and special certificates, t-shirts, and intelligent design books were awarded to those who answered questions correctly. It was a great way to celebrate and honor the students’ hard work and dedication
E.Meeting with Student Club Officials from University of Iringa
Following the insightful public lecture, we were fortunate to engage with the student officials who will play a key role in founding the new student club at the University of Iringa. During the meeting, we had an opportunity to exchange diverse ideas on the process of establishing student club at the University of Iringa, managing the BioCosmos student club and associated aspects as laid down in the club constitution.
F.Induction of MUST and TEKU BioCosmos Student Club Patrons and Representative of Proposed Iringa BCT Student Club
Mr. Tiba and Dr. Mary provided an update on the progress of their clubs, outlining their plans for an upcoming inter-university competition as they approach the end of the semester. They also discussed the completion of the first phase of student induction. Dr. Ochieng’ conducted the induction for the three patrons, including Dr. Mkumbo, who represented the University of Iringa, on the management of BCT Student clubs. Also present was Dr. Brown from MUST, who was keen on understanding the management of student clubs. The discussion covered several key aspects:
• Background of BioCosmos Africa and BioCosmos Tanzania and the Concept of the Student Clubs
• Objectives of BioCosmos Student Clubs
• Membership and Recruitment
• Webpage and other BioCosmos Student Club Social Media platforms
• Past activities in various institutions running student clubs
• Potential Internal and External activities that the student club can undertake
• The significance of basic literature on Intelligent Design and the use of the Student Clubs Workbook
• Basic introduction to Intelligent Design
• Internalization of the Student Club Constitution and various articles
• The student club’s subcommittee budget-making process and procedure for submission for consideration
• Continuous training of patrons and club officials, including access to audiovisual materials and the Africa Focused Seminar on ID.
By addressing these topics, the meeting provided valuable insights and guidance for the effective management and operation of the student clubs.
G.Overall assessment:
As the first internally organized Public Lecture by BCT, with financial support from BCA
and one speaker from BCK, we consider it a success based on the reception, attendance and
feedback from the University. It provided valuable insights and important lessons for BCT in planning future public lectures. The team noted the significance of allocating at least half a day to adequately deliver all planned content without the stress of time constraints. With this experience, we are confident that future Public Lectures organized by BCT will be even more successful.
