General
Mak DRGT Reviews Graduate Training Policies and Guidelines
For three days (23rd to 25th May 2018), members of Makerere University Management, Principals, Deputy Principals, Deans, researchers, staff from the Department of the Academic Registrar, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) and Public Relations Office convened at Royal Suites Bugolobi in a retreat aimed at reviewing policies and guidelines on graduate training. The retreat also sought to further align graduate training processes with the IUCEA and NCHE guidelines and recommend reviewed proposals to the Board of Research and Graduate Training.
Expected to end in June 2018, the review process will culminate in the production of the Makerere University Graduate Prospectus and an improved Graduate Handbook. It will also generate ideas and strategies aimed at strengthening graduate training and research at Makerere University.
“Graduate Training should form the pillar as we continue to advance the case for a research-led University. I am glad that we have convened here for three days to receive valuable input from stakeholders who drive the agenda at the University. The University has embarked on developing a Strategic Plan for the next 10 years (2019/20-2029/30) and Graduate Training and Research should be top on the agenda,” remarked Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, Director DRGT.
Officially opening the retreat, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang emphasized the need to improve the research culture at the University. He implored the participants to propose ideas where both the supervisors and students are committed to completion of PhDs within the stipulated years. “The review process should put in place mechanisms where each party namely the University authorities, supervisors and students is fully committed to playing his/her role.”
Providing a broad overview of Graduate Training at Makerere University, DRGT Deputy Director (Administration), Dr. David Owiny indicated that the review process accords all stakeholders the opportunity to come up with strategies of increasing the number of graduate students at Makerere University to at least 20%.
“In 2014/2015, the Makerere University Fact book indicated that 635 members of staff had attained PhDs and I am sure that the numbers of staff with PhDs has continued to rise. If each member of staff with PhD supervised One (1) student, Makerere University will be in position to graduate over 300 PhDs in a year,” revealed Dr. Owiny.
To set the pace, the Facilitator, Dr. Paul Kibwika invited Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi to present an overview of Policies and Guidelines of Graduate Training at Makerere University. She highlighted the policies that needed revision or rethinking, those that were difficult to implement, and some that had never been implemented. Mrs. Mushengyezi ended the informative presentation on an optimistic note.
“With the review of graduate training policies and enforcement of existing ones, we shall see graduate students completing on time and increased numbers of graduate applicants. Makerere University will then realize her dream of being a research-led University.”
During the retreat, participants pitched for the regularisation of crosscutting courses in the University. “Crosscutting courses should be mandatory. All students enrolled on the PhD programme should study these courses and Colleges should review their PhD Curricula to include crosscutting courses.”
Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza applauded the participants for realising that crosscutting courses such as Research Methods, Information Competence and Scholarly Writing equipped PhD students with the required knowledge and skills that significantly contribute to their competence. The Director disclosed that he had received a number of testimonies affirming this from those who had participated in the crosscutting courses.
Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda, the Deputy Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) informed the participants that he was one of the beneficiaries of crosscutting courses. “I tell you, you are empowered to do things differently,” he rallied.
Providing a solution to the scenario where only 40 out of 200 PhD student applicants are considered for the crosscutting courses, Dr. Muyinda appealed to DRGT to work with the Department of Open Distance and Distance Learning, CEES, to embrace e-learning so that the courses are put online. “With this approach, more applicants will be considered.”
Participants also advocated for strengthening of Doctoral Committees so that these eventually evolve into research teams at the respective units. Owing to the important role they play, consensus was reached that Doctoral Committees should be strongly encouraged and acknowledged in Theses/Dissertations.
Some of the pertinent recommendations arising out of discussions included: timely remuneration of external and internal examiners; upholding the supremacy of the external examiner; training staff in customer care; and expediting approved appointments in the Academic Registrar’s Department so as to dedicate special registrars to the management of graduate students.
During the retreat, participants listened to experiences on graduate training and supervision presented by Dr. Andrew E. State from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) while Dr. Stephen Wandera presented the CARTA model focusing on building vibrant, viable and sustainable multidisciplinary research hubs at African universities. Dr. Wandera’s presentation also covered creating networks of locally-trained internationally recognised scholars as well as enhancing the capacity of African universities to lead globally competitive research and training programs. Dr. Daudi Jjingo who represented Prof. Tonny Oyana-Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), provided tips on how to enhance the quality of Graduate Training.
Mr. Richard Byarugaba, the Head of Examinations and Transcripts Division who represented the Academic Registrar, Mr. Alfred Masikye Namoah commended DRGT for organising the retreat and appealed to the members to discuss the modalities of funding graduate programmes. He noted that graduate programmes are privately sponsored, which affects concentration as well as the completion rate of students. He also advised the University authorities to conduct a fresh per unit cost analysis of training a graduate student.
The participants were grouped into critical thinking sessions focused on increasing the number of applicants at graduate level, financing Graduate Training, enhancing teaching and learning, thesis examinations and publications as well as institutionalization and internationalization of graduate training and research.
Cognizant of the required outputs, the participants constituted a Committee consisting of nine (9) members to synthesize the ideas raised during the retreat within a period of three (3) weeks. The Members include: Dr. Kakungulu Mayambala, Dr. Paul Kibwika, Dr. Yazidhi Bamutaze, Dr. Susan Kiwanuka, Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi, Dr. Vincent Bagire, Dr. Stephen Wandera, Mr. Patrick Feni and Dr. Ivan Muzira.
On receipt of the Report from the Committee, DRGT will organize a half-day engagement with stakeholders to review the proceedings.
Closing the retreat, the Convener, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza said: “Personally, I feel empowered because I am carrying a voice from you stakeholders who have participated in this three day retreat, organized by DRGT with funding from Makerere University supplemented by CARTA. I thank my colleague, Dr. Owiny for ensuring that we access funds from CARTA. I also applaud the Facilitator-Dr. Paul Kibwika for the excellent moderation.”
Article by Public Relations Office
The Senior Program Director, Higher Education and Research in Africa, International Program, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Prof. Omotade Akin Aina on 23rd May 2025 visited Makerere University during his short trip to Kampala. Prof. Aina was received on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe by Prof. Tony Oyana, Principal of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).
During his visit, Prof. Aina met with the Project Implementation Committee, representatives from the Consolidating Early Career Academics Programme (CECAP) phase I Fellowship Cohort, and current Fellows of phase II. The meeting discussed the progress of CECAP II, which focuses on fostering academic development and research among early-career academics.
CECAP II is being implemented by Makerere University in collaboration with four other Ugandan public universities, including; Busitema University, Gulu University, Kyambogo University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology. Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, the Project Principal Investigator was represented at the meeting by the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma.
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training at Makerere University has equipped several Senior ranking lecturers with expert knowledge in a Training of Trainers’ workshop on “Philosophy of Methods”.
In his remarks at the opening of a 3-day training workshop at Level4 Conference Hall – Senate Building, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “The teaching of Philosophy of Methods gives all participants the fundamentals to extend knowledge to other learners, hence its importance in upholding the Makerere University values.”
Kikooma urged and challenged the participants to also attend and actively participate in the follow up of learners’ training of students, stating that the PhD students need support as the directorate continues to coordinate the curriculum of PhD by-research that was approved by the senate recently.
“To holistically implement the senate approved PhD curriculum, we are coordinating capacity building trainings of all stake holders in a structured approach with the different units of the University. Many more trainings including Training of Trainers in advanced research methods course are on the way.”
He further urged the participants to be intentional in their teaching profession and in whatever they were doing, adding “Apart from focusing on practices as teachers and researchers, we can engage in wider philosophical debates in our research areas so that we are relevant in the society and in the empowerment of PhD research students.”
The participants for the Philosophy of Methods training were from College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University Business School among others.
During the same training, Dr. Dickson Kanakulya stressed the need to train senior lecturers in the Philosophy of Methods, saying, “The biggest connection is that societal problems require concrete research to find solutions. Our challenge in Africa is that we employ a short barrow approach to find solutions to problems. This cannot work. We need consistent researchers to solve problems. Lasting solutions to societal issues can only be got through training such as Philosophy of Methods, where researchers come up with new models for societal solutions.”
Dr. Kanakulya said that Makerere University remains the biggest research University in Africa and philosophy of Methods helps to come up with good research tools that produce good research outputs. “Research has shown that the higher the number of PhD researchers in any given country, the higher the levels of development of that country e.g. the USA, China etc., adding that research is not limited to only medicinal or agricultural related issues.”
He said philosophy of methods, encourages philosophical creativity in research, “It is meant to bring out philosophical generation of concepts, theories and ideas. It is meant to encourage students to question the existing philosophical assumptions and status quo in a given field of knowledge such that new philosophical concepts are created.”
For successful rollout of government programs like the National Development Plan 4, Dr. Kanakulya said that Philosophy of Methods training needs to be integrated into such systems. “Philosophy of Methods focuses on ethical thinking aspects. For example, for a better rollout of the Parish Development Model, we need implementers to be ethical.” He added.
Prof. Sulait Tumwiine, the associate Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at MUBS said, “This is a discussion where new ideas are shared to guide and gauge applicability in the current knowledge diversity coupled with lots of technological development including Artificial Intelligence and Chat GPT.”
He added, “As professors of Universities, we need to understand how we leverage on what comes up so that it does not take our space, but also appreciate how we can support growth of knowledge. The Philosophy of Methods training is the answer.”
Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo highlighted that Philosophy uses more of the critical mind than Science. He added that philosophy is more of speculation of the mind.
“Sustainability of philosophy Education encourages us to continue training. Philosophy being the oldest discipline retained special status in the academia as a pinnacle of pursuit of knowledge. All disciplines have major elements of philosophy citing examples in the philosophy of Mathematics and Physics.
Dr. Spire added, “If you do not understand philosophy, you cannot deeply investigate anything because philosophy is the reality of understanding everything. Philosophy is the basis of understanding what knowledge is and how it is arrived at.”
Also participating in the workshop was Prof. Joseph Ntaayi from MUBS, in his remarks he said PhD students need the philosophy of methods training to understand how to best to create knowledge. He added that ontological and epistemological questions that lead to good research design methods can only be answered by this training.
Dr. Robert Kakuru, a Lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences said that the Philosophy of Methods training is needed by every graduate student as well as supervisors to critically determine the choice of methods to use in academic research. For example, “If one wants to use a questionnaire as an interview approach, one should understand, why that approach and yet without this training, the why cannot be answered.” He added.
The Philosophy of Methods training was organized by Directorate of Graduate Training with funding support from the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA).
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