General

CODESRIA HELP Call for Proposals for National Working Groups & Comparative Research Networks

Published

14 years ago

August 10, 2012

Mark Wamai

Within the framework of its mandate to build knowledge on Africa produced in the African continent or by the African scholars, the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites
proposals from researchers based in African universities and research centres to constitute *National Working Groups (NWGs), and/ or Comparative Research Networks (CRNs)*, to undertake studies around its newly launched research programme on higher education leadership in Africa (HELP).

This call for proposals is intended for university based scholars and researchers from the six countries that are, for the time being, covered by the project. These are Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa.

The Higher Education Leadership Programme (HELP)
Globally, higher education has undergone profound changes over the last two decades. Traditional conceptions of the university have been challenged by the forces of globalization, the increased use of ICTs, and the
introduction and spread of the market logic into the higher education sector. Today, a variety of new types of higher education institutions exists. Student demographics, access and delivery modes have changed too.
In the midst of these changes traditional modes of higher education governance and leadership have come under close scrutiny. Central to this questioning especially with regard to higher education institutions in
Africa is not only how traditional governance structures (where they still exist), are responding to these changes, but also what kind of leadership and governance is needed to position the institutions to confront the
challenges and positively respond to the development challenges of their societies. Higher education leadership in the continent face continued pressures to innovate and adapt to the rapid changes affecting the sector, and those affecting the societies more generally.

With the advent of a global consensus on the importance of knowledge for development, African higher education is receiving much greater attention than before. The strategic importance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the education systems has now been widely recognized and acknowledged. However, the leadership of universities in Africa is increasingly obliged to respond to or adapt to changes coming from Europe and the United States, such as those associated with the Bologna Process, and the introduction of the LMD (the French acronym for Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degree programmes) in Francophone Africa, and the broad allay of forces in global higher education categorized as Internationalization

What are the implications of such changes for HE leadership and how have the adaptation processes contributed to the evolution of leadership roles in African universities? How can African HE leaders ensure that African HE continues to be informed by, and relevant to Africa’s realities and needs for democratic transformation and development, rather than being primarily driven by concerns that are far removed from those of the African continent and its peoples?

A key issue that this Programme will seek to address, therefore, is to better understand the various changes taking place with regard to the governance and leadership of higher education institutions in Africa, the
nature and forces at play in constituting leadership and governance organs in HEIs in Africa, the extent to which changes in governance and leadership of African HE have contributed or not to changing the general
perceptions of the mission and roles of HEIs, documenting of case studies of governance and leadership that have had a positive impact in repositioning the institutions to respond to their missions (weather such
leadership has emanated from the core institutional management team, faculty boards, etc., or student and staff Unions, or both). Furthermore, the Program seeks to encourage research that will focus on investigating
how changes in the higher education system and the perceptions of the mission and roles of HEIs are impacting on HE leadership, the types of adaptation that HE leadership has had to make to respond to the challenges associated with globalization and the spread of managerialism in the HE sector?

CODESRIA’s history is inextricably linked to the challenges which the African higher education system have faced at various stages of its development, and the changing contexts within which different generations
of African scholars have evolved and strived to function. The Programme therefore seeks to deepen scholarly understanding of the nature of, trends in and challenges associated with Higher Education Leadership and
university governance in Africa in the second decade of the 21st Century.

The universities form the core constituency of CODESRIA, and the main site of the bulk of CODESRIA’s research and research training activities. CODESRIA is also one of the few institutions that have been carrying out
social science research on HE in Africa. In the past ten years alone, CODESRIA has launched several national working groups (NWG), and comparative research networks (CRN), as well as a multinational working
group (MWG) on HE. In addition to the Journal of Higher Education in Africa, CODESRIA has published many books on HE and academic freedom. This Programme is therefore informed to a large extent by CODESRIA’s own experience working with the HEIs of Africa, and by the research it has already carried out on the dynamics and challenges facing the HE sector in Africa. These experience and materials have tended to identify governance and leadership as some of the most important issues for African HE in the 21st Century. So, this programme on HE leadership will bring the knowledge on HE and, more specifically, on HE governance and leadership to new and higher levels, both scientifically and from a policy perspective.

Objectives
The objectives of the Higher Education Leadership Programme are:

1) to provide a rigorous historical and social science analysis on higher education leadership and higher education governance in Africa;
2) to examine the changes which are occurring , and challenges facing, HE governance and leadership in Africa in the 21st century;
3) to identify and analyse ways in which the leadership and governance of African universities are constituted and exercised and how leadership is trying to address global, regional and local challenges facing the HE
sector.
4) to elaborate models of university leadership that can ultimately serve as a basis for new policy on the governance of the rapidly expanding higher education sector.

Strategies
The High Education Leadership Programme aims to produce high quality knowledge on HE leadership through 1) comparative research experiences shared across countries, both at the institutional level and at the more
general system level; 2) research teams on HE that are similar to National Working Groups or Comparative Research Networks 3) research grants and fellowships on a competitive basis, 4) case studies; 5) publications of research findings.

Researchers who are interested are requested to send a research proposal (in form of National Working Groups-NWG or Comparative Research Networks-CRN) that highlight clearly the questions they want to address.

** **

NWG are set up to mobilise national-level research capacities and to channel these into autonomous organised reflections on research themes of their choice. They have been an important instrument for promoting research into and publications about different national-level experiences pertinent to the pre-occupations of African scholars active in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The size of an NWG will vary from country to country but on average, most of the groups sponsored by CODESRIA in the past have had between five and seven members. ****

** **

The primary purpose of CRNs is to encourage the development and
consolidation of a comparative analytic perspective in the work of African
social researchers. In so doing, it is hoped to establish a strong corpus
of comparative studies produced by African scholars that could help to
advance theoretical knowledge and discussion. ****

** **

For more information on NWG and CRN see www.codesria.org.

** **

Each proposal should include:-an introduction, a problem statement, a literature review, the objectives of the study, the research methodology, the expected results, the outline of the proposed budget and time frame
knowing that the total duration of the study is 18 months from the date of launch. Furthermore, the proposal should include information on the research team, including the coordinator(s) of the group, the bio data of
researchers, their institutional affiliations, and the curriculum vitae of the coordinator and members of the network.

A proposal should not exceed 12 pages (font Times New Roman, size 12, line spacing: single).

Authors of proposals are requested to pay close attention to the methodology they intend to apply and to demonstrate a good understanding of the leadership and governance challenges facing the HE sector in Africa.
For CRNs, a comparative approach involving scholars from at least two countries out of the six covered by the project (Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa) is highly encouraged. The teams are
requested to ensure that they are multidisciplinary in composition, sensitive to gender issues, and accommodative of younger scholars.

Each team will be entitled to organise three meetings/workshops during its lifespan, the first one is a methodological workshop; the second to evaluate the progress of the work, and the third to review draft research reports, and identify policy recommendations, and begin disseminating the results. For indicative purposes, the budget for each group will vary from USD 10,000 to USD 35,000, based on past grants that have been awarded by CODESRIA under similar programmes. Similarly, although no specific format is required for the presentation of the budget, authors are requested to note that resources will be allocated by the Council to cover the following costs:

i)     A methodological workshop for the members of the NWG/CRN;
ii)    A mid-term review workshop on the progress of the research;
iii)   The field work to be undertaken by the members of the network;
iv)   Books to be purchased for the research;
v)    The honorarium to be paid to the members of the research network for the work undertaken.
vi)   A final workshop

For this call for proposals, CODESRIA will be open to receive proposals up to 15th September 2012. Notification of the result of the selection committee will be done by 30th September 2012. Proposals (Electronic version) for the constitution of NWGs or CRNs should be sent to:

Higher Education Research Leadership Programme (HELP)
CODESRIA,
BP 3304, CP 18524
Dakar, Senegal.
Tel: +221-33 825 98 22/23
Fax:+221-33 824 12 89
E-mail: help@codesria.sn
Web Site: http://:www.codesria.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CODESRIA/181817969495
Twitter: http://twitter.com/codesria

NB: In addition to the CVs of the team members required, the identification sheet (Please see Attachments Below) for the updated database of the Council should be filled and sent along with the proposal .The applicants should clearly indicate on the outer page of the proposal if they are submitting for NWG or CRN, with the
designated group or network coordinator(s) identified. Incomplete proposals and those sent outside the deadline will not be considered.

General

JICA, Makerere University Explore New Frontiers in AI and Research Collaboration

Published

2 hours ago

September 4, 2026

Mak Editor

Prof. Sarah Ssali presents the Makerere coffee table book to Dr. Okano Takasei as Makerere and JICA Officials witness on 4th September 2026. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei meets DVCAA Prof. Sarah Ssali, explores new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change, 4th September 2026, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

_{By Moses Lutaaya}

Kampala, September 4, 2026 — Makerere University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have explored new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change.

The discussions took place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Makerere University Main Building in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, during a visit by a JICA delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei, Senior Advisor, Human Development Department of JICA.

Makerere keen to deepen collaboration with JICA

Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali, highlighted Makerere University’s long-standing tradition of research, international collaboration and contribution to knowledge generation in Uganda and beyond.

Prof. Ssali noted that Makerere has built a strong global research footprint through partnerships with institutions around the world, observing that the University is well positioned to deepen international collaboration as emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, continue to transform research and higher education.

“Uganda has a very long history of doing research, and particularly it has informed research findings in the areas global health research,” Prof. Ssali said, pointing to Uganda’s historical contribution to global scientific knowledge.

She cited the country’s contribution to medical and biological research, including early research on sleeping sickness, noting that Uganda’s unique research environment continues to offer opportunities for scientific discovery.

Prof. Ssali said Makerere’s history of collaboration with Japan is particularly significant, noting that Japanese cooperation has contributed not only to academic and research activities but also to infrastructure development and other sectors in Uganda.

She cited the establishment of the JICA building at Makerere, describing it as one of the visible symbols of Japan’s long-standing partnership with Makerere University.

Prof. Sarah Ssali (R) presents a Makerere necktie to Dr. Okano Takasei (L). Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei meets DVCAA Prof. Sarah Ssali, explores new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change, 4th September 2026, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***Prof. Sarah Ssali (R) presents a Makerere necktie to Dr. Okano Takasei (L).***

According to Prof. Ssali, the building, which houses College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) disciplines of geology, petroleum studies and administrative offices, was constructed during her undergraduate years and completed within a remarkably short period.

Prof. Ssali said the long-standing relationship between Uganda, Makerere University and Japan provides a strong foundation upon which new areas of collaboration can be built. She encouraged the visiting JICA delegation to explore the University and identify areas where existing partnerships could be strengthened or new areas of cooperation developed.

“Please take time and explore and see where either you already have a footprint, where you’ve ever had a footprint, or where you could explore new areas,” she said.

Prof. Ssali added that Makerere was privileged to host the JICA delegation and expressed optimism that the visit would lead to meaningful and sustainable partnerships.

Strengthening Joint Collaboration through AJ-ASPIRE

Dr. Okano, in his remarks as leader of the delegation said the visit formed part of a broader JICA initiative aimed at promoting academic and research collaboration between Japanese and African universities.

He explained that the initiative was launched on the occasion of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in September 2025, with the objective of strengthening academic and research partnerships between Japan and Africa.

According to Dr. Okano, the initiative is intended to benefit both African and Japanese universities by providing platforms for internationalisation, collaborative research and the exchange of knowledge, researchers and students. “We would like to play a role of facilitator between universities in Japan and Africa and Uganda as well,” he said.

He explained that JICA is currently promoting the initiative through three African hub universities where JICA already has ongoing projects and experts on the ground.

The three institutions are Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in Egypt, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Dr. Okano said the selection of the three institutions was informed by the presence of ongoing JICA-supported projects and experts who can facilitate collaboration between the hub universities and institutions across Africa and Japan.

Dr. Okano Takasei makes his remarks. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei meets DVCAA Prof. Sarah Ssali, explores new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change, 4th September 2026, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***Dr. Okano Takasei makes his remarks.***

The hub universities are currently coordinating research with Japanese universities in strategic areas, with E-JUST focusing on energy, JKUAT leading work on food value chains, and Stellenbosch University focusing on water and climate change.

Dr. Okano said JICA was particularly pleased to explore collaboration with Makerere University under the African-Japan Initiative for Research and Education Partnerships, known as AJ-ASPIRE.

He outlined three major avenues through which Makerere could participate in the initiative.

The first is participation in existing research programmes hosted by the three hub universities. He added that Makerere researchers could join ongoing research on energy, food value chains, water and climate change, thereby creating opportunities to work with Japanese and other African researchers.

“We would like to explore opportunity for researchers from Makerere University to participate in these ongoing research activities and expand collaboration with Japanese and African partner institutions,” Dr. Okano said.

The second area is the development of new research networks in artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering. Dr. Okano said JICA was planning to establish new research groups focusing on the two areas and would be interested in having Makerere researchers participate in the emerging networks. “We would like to also invite researchers from Makerere University to join these networks and implementation of future collaboration in these two research topics, aerospace engineering and AI,” he said.

The third proposed avenue is increased collaboration between Makerere University and E-JUST, which Dr. Okano said offers fully funded scholarship opportunities for African students through a programme jointly supported by the governments of Egypt and Japan.

He noted that a number of Makerere graduates have already benefited from the programme, including researchers who have pursued doctoral studies and research opportunities in Egypt and Japan.

Dr. Okano cited the example of Mr. Abdonoor Kalibala, a Makerere alumnus whom he recently met in Hiroshima, Japan, following completion of PhD in Mechatronics and Robotics engineering at E-JUST. Mr. Kalibala conducted research in Japan for up to six months under the supervision of a Japanese professor as part of his doctoral programme.

Dr. Okano said such programmes could help strengthen the movement of researchers between Uganda, Egypt and Japan and create lasting institutional partnerships.

He added that JICA is also providing small research grants to alumni of the programmes to help them maintain and expand research collaboration involving Japan, E-JUST and African institutions.

He said Makerere could leverage such opportunities to increase the participation of its students and researchers in international research networks.

AI, Materials and Remote Sensing and International Relations Set the Pace

Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University, said the visit followed an online engagement held a few weeks earlier between Makerere University and JICA, during which several areas and units within the University were identified as potential points of collaboration.

Prof. Wamala said these included the Makerere University AI Lab, the University’s International Office and researchers working in space engineering, particularly in materials and remote sensing.

He welcomed the transition from online discussions to physical engagement, saying the visit would allow JICA representatives to interact directly with researchers, academic units and University authorities. “This interest is being followed up through an in-person visit, which provides us an opportunity for JICA to engage directly with the relevant units and researchers at Makerere University,” Prof. Wamala said.

For Makerere, he added, the initiative provides an opportunity to connect the University’s research strengths with Japanese universities, research institutions and development partners to address shared development challenges.

L-R: Prof. Robert Wamala, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Ms. Eri Maeda and Dr. Okano Takasei flip through the Makerere Coffee Table book. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei meets DVCAA Prof. Sarah Ssali, explores new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change, 4th September 2026, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***L-R: Prof. Robert Wamala, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Ms. Eri Maeda and Dr. Okano Takasei flip through the Makerere Coffee Table book.***

Prof. Wamala said the University was particularly interested in identifying practical areas of collaboration that could move beyond general discussions to concrete research partnerships, joint projects and opportunities for students and researchers.

He noted that the JICA delegation’s on-campus interactions scheduled to take place throughout the day would enable the two sides to identify specific areas of mutual interest. “We hope these engagements will help us identify specific areas of future interest and provide a basis for developing concrete areas of collaboration under the AJ-ASPIRE,” Prof. Wamala said.

He reiterated Makerere’s commitment to strengthening international research partnerships and thanked JICA for its continued interest in the University.

Dr. Okano, was accompanied by Mr. Ito Idomu, Research and Advisor at the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Osaki Mistuhiro from JICA headquarters, Ms. Eric Maeda from JICA Headquarters, and Ms. Ruth Mbabazi from JICA Uganda.

JICA follow-up meetings with Makerere research units

Following the high-level meeting in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, the JICA team, together with the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, proceeded to engage with key research and administrative units at Makerere University identified as strategic to the proposed areas of collaboration.

The delegation held meetings with the Makerere University AI Lab, led by Dr. Joyce Nabende of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS), to explore opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies.

The team also met officials from the Makerere University International Office, led by Mr. Mathias Ssemanda, where discussions focused on opportunities for strengthening international academic linkages, mobility and institutional partnerships.

A further engagement was held with the Department of Geomatics and Land Management, focusing on materials and remote sensing, led by Prof. Lydia Kayondo from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT).

The engagements provided an opportunity for the JICA team and Makerere researchers to move from broad discussions on collaboration to more specific conversations around research interests, expertise, existing projects and potential areas for joint work.

The visit marks an important step towards strengthening Makerere University’s engagement with Japanese and African research institutions under AJ-ASPIRE, while opening opportunities for researchers and students to participate in emerging international networks in artificial intelligence, aerospace engineering, remote sensing and other strategic areas of science, technology and innovation.

General

Undergraduate Admissions: Students allowed to Change Programs/Subjects 2026/27

Published

2 days ago

September 2, 2026

Mak Editor

The Office of the Academic Registrar has released lists of students whose applications for change of Programme/Subjects have been approved for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

The lists can be accessed by following the inks below:

General

Uganda to Launch ACT-PREP, Africa’s New Epidemic Preparedness Research Network

Published

1 week ago

August 28, 2026

Mak Editor

A KCCA Medical Office debriefs the MakSPH Field Epidemiologists and Surveillance Team during the CoVID-19 pandemic. Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa.

_{By Henry Mugenyi}

When the next infectious disease outbreak strikes, the question for African researchers should not be whether they have the capacity to conduct the research, but how quickly they can begin.

That is the gap a new five-year research initiative, Advancing Clinical Trials and Epidemic Preparedness Research Capacity in Africa (ACT-PREP), is seeking to address.

The project will be officially launched in Uganda on September 28^th, 2026, bringing together researchers and partners from universities and research institutions across Africa and Europe. The launch will be held at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) Auditorium in Kampala.

Led by Makerere University School of Public Health, ACT-PREP is designed to strengthen Africa’s ability to conduct clinical trials and other research before and during infectious disease outbreaks.

Africa has repeatedly faced epidemics of diseases such as Marburg, Ebola, COVID-19 and other emerging infections. Yet when outbreaks occur, the capacity to quickly generate the evidence needed to guide treatment, prevention and public health decisions remains underdeveloped.

ACT-PREP aims to make research part of outbreak preparedness not something that begins only after an epidemic has already spread.

According to Prof Rhoda Wanyenze, the Principal Investigator on the project, “the initiative will establish a framework for more equitable collaboration among 10 African and two European institutions, working alongside Universities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)”.

The consortium includes institutions from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, South Sudan and Senegal, as well as European partners in Sweden and Germany. Africa CDC is also among the participating institutions.

For Uganda, the launch at Makerere University is significant. The university is taking the scientific lead on a programme that places African research institutions at the centre of efforts to prepare for future epidemics.

One of ACT-PREP’s central ambitions is to address the shortage of researchers and systems capable of rapidly conducting high-quality clinical research during emergencies.

The project will strengthen clinical research, ethics and regulatory capacity, while also supporting laboratory and disease surveillance systems. It will integrate training into PhD and postdoctoral programmes, with the consortium aiming to train at least 700 fellows at the end of the project.

“The idea is straightforward: Africa needs not only laboratories and equipment, but also people with the skills to use them when an outbreak begins” – Says Dr Steven Kabwama, ACT-PREP Project Manager.

Researchers will also be supported to share expertise, data, resources and technology across institutions and national borders.

ACT-PREP will further explore One Health approaches and artificial intelligence-supported systems to improve disease prediction, detection and rapid response. The project also seeks to support more streamlined regulatory processes so that clinical trials can be deployed and monitored more quickly when they are needed.

The experience of recent epidemics has shown that time is one of the most valuable resources in an outbreak.

Delays in detecting a pathogen, setting up research sites, securing ethical and regulatory approvals or generating reliable evidence can affect how quickly health authorities are able to respond.

ACT-PREP is built around the idea that many of these systems should already be in place before the next emergency.

That means having trained researchers, functioning laboratories, established regulatory pathways, surveillance systems and relationships between institutions that can be activated when an outbreak occurs.

It also means changing how research partnerships are built.

Rather than relying on external institutions to arrive when a crisis begins, the project seeks to strengthen African institutions themselves and create longer-term collaborations in which expertise, technology, data and resources can be shared across borders.