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Mak to make the most of AHP Fellowships
The African Humanities Program (AHP) is conducted by The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The program which currently supports five countries in Africa namely; Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa is aimed at encouraging and enabling research and writing of the highest quality by African scholars. AHP supports awards on the two fronts of Dissertation-Completion Fellowships and Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowships.
On Friday 15th August 2014, the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVCAA) organized an application preparation workshop for prospective fellows who had expressed interest in the call for applications. Welcoming participants to the workshop, Dr. Susan Kiguli; herself a 2010 AHP Postdoctoral Fellow and Head, Literature Department, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), thanked Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang for organizing the workshop as part of Makerere’s AHP coordination activities. She then commended all applicants for seeking to take advantage of one of the best Humanities Fellowships.
“The AHP fellowship promotes inter-scholarly interaction and communication and presents us all with the perfect platform to see how we can forge a way forward in research and promotion of humanities on the African continent,” said Dr. Kiguli.
The AHP applications preparation workshop targeted doctoral candidates in the final year of writing their dissertation as well as postdoctoral applicants who had obtained their PhD within the last eight years. The workshop coordinator Dr. Florence Ebila, School of Women and Gender Studies, CHUSS, announced that a total of 18 abstracts had been received and the two-day meeting would work with applicants to secure as many fellowship awards for Uganda as possible. “This is the most wonderful fellowship to help you come up with a book or journal. As a fresh fellow of the AHP, I personally look forward to completing my manuscript soon,” added Dr. Ebila.
In order to make the most of such opportunities, the Makerere University coordination office regularly invites AHP assessors to guide participants through the application process. Welcoming the facilitators, the DVCAA Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang thanked Dr. Muhammed Umar-Burutai and Dr. Sani Aliyu from Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria and Prof. Edward Wamala from the Philosophy Department, CHUSS, for accepting to facilitate the workshop. He noted that the highest number of participants Uganda had ever sent was eight although this total has varied over the years. He also urged participants take advantage of sabbatical teaching opportunities at Ahmadu Bello University, the largest university in Nigeria and second largest in Africa after Cairo University, Egypt.
“This workshop is a unique opportunity for Uganda to better package her applications. Although colleagues from all around the world are lamenting over the state of affairs in the Humanities, we should not be complicit but move beyond lamentations,” persuaded Dr. Okello Ogwang. “Listen closely as the facilitators as they discuss your abstracts and carefully follow all instructions and this will help you understand the specific nature of the fellowship,” he added.
In his remarks as he officially opened the workshop, the Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Prof. Edward Kirumira welcomed the various shifts in National and Global strategies as an indicator that the Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines were starting to make an impact.
“Nationally, we are witnessing the shift from Poverty Eradication to National Development Programmes, and from science and technology for excellence to science and technology for prosperity,” Prof. Kirumira noted. “This shift is based on the recognition that development programmes ought to be holistic and will move much slower if the Humanities and Social Sciences component is excluded” added the Principal.
He however urged collegues in the Humanities and Social Sciences not to remain in their academic silos but to step out and apply their various disciplines to the development agenda. “I urge all participants to have the National Development Agenda in sight as you write abstracts. Humanities and Social Sciences may not be explicitly emphasized on the research agenda and so it is our responsibility to reach out to them. This exclusion opens up opportunities for us to go to them,” counseled Prof. Kirumira.
He also noted that as Public institutions continued to tighten their expenditure patterns, staff development initiatives were likely to be affected and opportunities such as those presented by AHP ought to be welcomed and wholly embraced.
“We look forward to having the next generation of academic leaders emerging from AHP especially as you continue to create networks. The money is not in the pockets but in the networks so make the most of them,” Prof. Kirumira concluded.
Commenting on the workshop one of the facilitators Dr. Sani Aliyu noted that the AHP fellowship is a mentorship platform for the academia to help each other advance their careers, “As such, you interaction should not stop at workshops such as this two-day event but continue through the networks you establish,” he said.
Dr. Muhammed Umar-Burutai who took participants through the application procedures emphasized that the fellowship was only meant to fund basic research. “This fellowship will only support those whose research is aimed at providing a greater understanding of the subject and so if your research is applied in nature, it may not be considered,” advised Dr. Aliyu.
The AHP Application Preparation Workshop 2014 coordinators Dr. Florence Ebila and Dr. Peace Musiimenta assured participants of success if they stuck to the application instructions. The humanities disciplines that qualify for support include; anthropology, archaeology, studies of fine and performing arts, history, linguistics, literature studies, studies of religion, and philosophy. Projects in social sciences such as economics, sociology, or political science, as well as in law or international relations, are not eligible unless they are clearly humanistic in content and focus. More information on the program may be obtained at htto://www.acls.org/programs/ahp.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Makerere University Set to Develop Curriculum to Transform Graduate Supervision and Mentorship
By Moses Lutaaya
KAMPALA – Makerere University is set to develop a curriculum for a specialized Certificate Course in Supervision and Mentoring for Graduate Training and Higher Education Management, in a move aimed at professionalizing graduate supervision and strengthening the capacity of academic staff to deliver quality postgraduate education.
The proposed programme will equip academic staff with advanced competencies in graduate-level teaching, research supervision, mentorship, and higher education management, while supporting the University’s agenda of improving the quality and relevance of graduate training.
The curriculum development process was discussed during a Stakeholders’ Curriculum Development Consultation Workshop held on Thursday, 18th June 2026 at the Senate Building Telepresence Hall, Makerere University.
The workshop, organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support (CTLS), brought together curriculum specialists, academic staff, and higher education stakeholders to review and enrich the proposed curriculum before it proceeds through the University approval processes.
Participants included 11 lecturers from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), 3 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), 2 from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), 1 from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), 4 from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), among others.
The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) was represented by Dr. Patrice Ssembirige, Deputy Executive Director in charge of Curriculum Review and Instructional Materials Development. The Centre for Teaching and Learning team was led by Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, while Dr. Stephen Wandera coordinated the workshop.
Addressing participants, Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director Graduate Training at Makerere University, said the curriculum development initiative is central to strengthening graduate education and ensuring that academic staff are adequately prepared to support postgraduate learners.
Prof. Kikooma noted that Makerere University is targeting an increase in graduate student enrolment to 50 percent of the total student population, but emphasized that this ambition must be matched with investment in the capacity of academic staff who supervise and mentor students.
“We can get many graduate students, but if the people supporting them do not have the right tools and preparation, we will still have challenges,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He explained that the initiative responds to University policies requiring academic staff teaching graduate students to undergo pedagogical training, while those supervising graduate research must undergo specialized preparation in supervision and mentoring.
Prof. Kikooma said graduate supervision requires deliberate preparation because supervisors play a central role in shaping research quality, student success, and the overall effectiveness of postgraduate programmes.
He further emphasized Makerere University’s responsibility as a leading institution in the region.
“We have a double expectation. We must support the country to achieve its aspirations in national development, but we also have an expectation from other institutions to support them in building graduate training capacity. In that sense, we are a trainer of trainers,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Dr. Patrice Ssembirige commended Makerere University for adopting a consultative and inclusive approach to curriculum development.
He noted that education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, requiring continuous curriculum review and alignment with emerging needs.
“Education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, and in Uganda, NCDC has been leading and spearheading the implementation of the competency-based curriculum,” Dr. Ssembirige said.
He explained that NCDC has developed competency-based curriculum frameworks at primary and lower secondary levels and is currently advancing reforms at upper secondary level, which feeds into higher education institutions.
Dr. Ssembirige said the new curriculum presents an opportunity to align graduate training with global trends, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), international best practices, and national development priorities.
“As we develop this curriculum, we need to align with global trends, SDGs and international best practices. We also need to undertake comparative analysis because curriculum reforms are taking place across East African Community states,” he noted.
He encouraged developers to ensure that the programme follows competency-based principles and equips participants with relevant 21st-century skills.
“Since we are talking about competency-based curriculum, we must be cognizant of the principles of competency-based education and ensure that we develop skills that fit the demands of the 21st century,” he added.
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support at Makerere University, said the initiative marks an important step in strengthening professional development for academic staff involved in graduate education.
She noted that effective supervision requires more than disciplinary expertise, but also skills in mentorship, communication, research guidance, ethics, assessment, and student support.
“The quality of graduate education depends on the quality of mentorship and supervision we provide. This curriculum will strengthen the capacity of academic staff to guide graduate students effectively, improve research outcomes, and uphold the standards expected of a leading university,” Dr. Ssebowa said.
She added that the Centre for Teaching and Learning will continue working with the Directorate of Graduate Training, academic colleges, curriculum specialists, and regulators to ensure the programme remains relevant and impactful.
During the workshop, stakeholders reviewed the proposed curriculum structure, course content, competency areas, assessment strategies, quality assurance mechanisms, and alignment with national and international standards.
Once finalized, the programme is expected to strengthen graduate supervision at Makerere University and serve as a model for professional development across higher education institutions in Uganda and beyond.
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