Kigumba Petroleum Institute, also referred to as Uganda Petroleum Institute or as Uganda Petroleum Institute, Kigumba (UPIK), is a government-owned, national center for training, research and consultancy in the field of petroleum exploration, recovery, refinement and responsible utilization in Uganda. The institute was established in 2009 and admitted the first batch of students in 2010, with the objective of training personnel in petroleum-related skills, at certificate, diploma and undergraduate levels. In 2011, increased budgetary allocations were made towards the elevation of the institute from a vocational school to a fully-fledged International University. Financial assistance to the tune of US$8 million (UGX:20 billion), will be sought from the World Bank and Irish Aid, to achieve this goal. In November 2011, the Uganda Government began the process of elevating the Institute to University status