General
Chinese Embassy awards 30 Scholarships to Makerere University students
The Embassy of China to Uganda has awarded two categories Scholarships; the Ambassador’s Award for Excellence and the Ambassador’s Award for Friendship to Makerere University continuing students. Officially launched by the State Minister for Higher Education Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo on behalf of the Minister of Education and Sports Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, the Scholarships Award was received by the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Prof. William Bazeyo on 8th August 2018.
The Scholarships Award worth UGX 85 million will enable 30 continuing students with a genuinely disadvantaged socio-economic background to pursue their studies at Makerere University for the academic year 2018/2019. The Scholarship process is being administered by the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate on behalf of Makerere University. According to the Chairperson of the Scholarships Selection Committee, Dr. Jessica Norah Aguti, the first cohort of the beneficiaries was selected from the 10 Colleges of Makerere University.
“The selection exercise was handled with transparency and with the highest degree of integrity. Every college was given an opportunity and the gender element was considered. We were looking for candidates with great academic potential who were willing to commit to the selection process. We received 373 applications and the 30 students selected were the most deserving. I appreciate the selection committee for the commitment. The whole process was as open as possible, she explained.
Representing Hon. Janet Kataaha-the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, congratulated the award winning students upon meeting the necessary requirements for the scholarships and urged them to fully utilize the opportunity to achieve their goals.
“As you continue with your studies kindly bear in mind that this is Chinese tax payer’s money that has enabled you to realize your goals. Someone out there in China is paying your tuition, therefore use it well and ensure that when time comes and there is need to support a cause, you don’t hesitate to contribute towards somebody’s future,” Hon. Muyingo urged the students.
He thanked the Ambassador of China to Uganda, H.E. Zheng Zhuqiang, for realizing the need to support Higher Education in Uganda and for offering 30 scholarships to Makerere University students. He also commended the long term relationship between China and Uganda that has enabled the two countries to strengthen their areas of cooperation and development.
“The scholarship offer is an indication of the greater and stronger corporation between the Chinese Embassy and Makerere University. This initiative also expresses the Ambassador’s love to improve Higher Education in Uganda. We appreciate your support and the support from the people of China,” he remarked.
He applauded Makerere University for its tremendous academic research and innovations that have helped the country to find solutions to its social, political and economic problems. He called for zero tolerance to hooliganism and urged students to exercise the highest degree of discipline.
The Minister appealed to the University Management to implement the policy on discipline and Morality to ensure a favorable learning environment at Makerere University.
“I strongly condemn the intolerable indiscipline and hooliganism at Makerere University and I am going to support the University Management to ensure that the policy on morality and discipline is implemented for the sake of creating a conducive environment for learning at the great institution,” he emphasized.
The Ambassador of China to Uganda, H.E. Zheng Zhuqiang, congratulated all the award winning students upon reaching the tremendous milestone. “It can be said that your dreams are the ‘Ugandan dream’, Makerere University is providing you knowledge as a tool to realize your dreams. The Chinse embassy has provided the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship of Excellence and Friendship to set the journey for achieving this dream and chose Makerere University as the first cooperative partner of the scholarships because we think the best students from Uganda are here,” he said.
He commended Makerere University for being the key player in building human resource capacity in Uganda and saluted the various contributions the University has made towards Uganda’s development. According to the Ambassador, there is urgent need for strategic investment in the young generation in order to have the much needed human capital that is ready to drive the country’s planned growth and transformation.
“If the young are strong, the country will be strong: if the young are knowledgeable, the country will prosper. A nation will prosper only when its young people thrive; a country will be full of hope and have a greater tomorrow only when its young generations have ideals, ability, and a strong sense of responsibility,” he said.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Prof. William Bazeyo thanked the Chinese Embassy and the Government of China, for sponsoring Makerere University staff and alumni for post graduate studies.
“I applaud H.E. Zheng Zhuqiang for securing fifteen (15) ‘Chinese Ambassador’s Award for Excellence’ and fifteen (15) ‘Ambassador’s Award for Friendship’ scholarships. These scholarships will enable 30 Ugandan children achieve their dream. If you ask the award winning students here, you will realize that each one of them has a very big dream. Today we are witnessing the fulcrum for the journey to the long awaited dream,” he stated.
On behalf of Makerere University Management, Prof. Bazeyo assured the Chinese Embassy of the necessary support to the award winning students. He acknowledged the long term relationship Makerere University has with the People’s Republic of China, the various institutions and universities in China and the Chinese Embassy in Uganda that has contributed to Makerere University’s research and academic excellence.
In the same spirit, he appreciated the support from the Government of Uganda that is enabling over 2000 Uganda students to access university education at Makerere University and other institutions of higher learning every year.
“Since 2001 Makerere University has been offering scholarships to students who excel academically but are unable to afford University Education because of their poor social economic background. With the various partners including; the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the MasterCard Foundation, the Governments of Sweden and Norway, a total of 1029 both male and female students have successfully graduated and are selflessly serving mother Uganda as Lawyers, Chief Executive Directors, Programme Mangers, Bankers, Lecturers, Teachers, Medical Doctors, Church Ministers, Social workers and many others. The Chinese 30 Scholarship Awards sums it to 1059 scholarships,” he stated.
He commended the good work done by the Gender and Mainstreaming Directorate to screen and select not only the best students, but also students who genuinely deserve the scholarship awards.
The Acting Director of Gender Mainstreaming, Dr. Euzobia M. Baine, said that the Directorate will make a follow up on the academic performance of the students to ensure that they maintain their good grades. She appreciated the sponsorship from the Chinese Embassy and called for more support towards helping young Ugandans realize their dreams.
“Numerous bright but socio-economically disadvantaged children in Uganda still face challenges in accessing higher education. Many children from less privileged, geographically disadvantaged districts and locations, children from refugee/displaced communities, ethnic minority groups and youth with various disabilities still face financial challenges,” she mentioned.
Ms. Ritah Namisango, the Principal Public Relations Officer at Makerere University encouraged students to join the Chinese language and culture learning course at Makerere University Confucius Institute. “Learn the Chinese language and widen your opportunities and networks. This is a generation of social networking with various business developments, and hence, an international language like Chinese is vital,” she said.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Ms. Agaba Vanita, a student of the College of Natural Sciences; pursuing a Bachelor’s degree of Science physical thanked the Chinese Ambassador for the tremendous support. Also Mr. Khisa Emma, a student at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree of Biomedical Laboratory Technology said that, “I thank the Chinese Embassy for the opportunity and we promise that we shall not let you down.”
Article by Mak Public Relations Office
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD), Makerere University on 14th September 2021 presented findings from phase one of the study on Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and Decision-Making Organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. The study team led by the Director GMD and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine also consists of Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Ms. Frances Nyachwo, Ms. Susan Mbabazi and Mr. Eric Tumwesigye.
The team is also made of coordinators from participating Universities such as Busitema University-Ms. Elizabeth Birabwa, Kabale University-Sr. Dr. Eva Tumusiime, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)-Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko, Muni University-Ms. Amandru Stella Wawa, and Gulu Univeristy-Sr. Rosalba Aciro.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the study was inspired by the fact that women are persistently few in numbers as staff, more so in leadership and decision-making organs of Ugandan Public Universities. “This is despite all the various efforts at national and international levels; the numbers are not growing as fast as needed to meet development goals of the country” explained Dr. Euzobia.
Based on this background, the study team therefore sought to conduct a situational analysis of the gender terrain of the six public universities to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance and leadership organs and senior staff by sex, as well as a needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees.
Furthermore, the team sought to explore the capacity to conduct gender-responsive research as well as the role of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions within the universities as the drivers of development.
Dr. Mugisha-Baine shared that results of the baseline would then be used to design participatory training manuals or guides on gender and leadership. The manuals would cover; Institutionalized mentorship, How to conduct gender-responsive research, gender and equity budgeting, among others.
“Within these manuals, we shall have a male staff engagement strategy in gender equity interventions in universities” she explained.
The development of the aforementioned materials would then be followed by their adoption and use to build capacity for women not only in leadership of participating and other public university but also beyond. “We shall periodically evaluate whether the capacity we have built has influenced women’s participation in leadership and decision-making organs of the university” supplemented the PI.
The capacity building trainings for women, it is envisaged, will lay the foundation for the formation of a functional Uganda University Women’s Think Tank, starting with the six participating universities. Dr. Mugisha Baine added that through this Think Tank, a monitoring and tracking system for gender representation in recruitment, promotion, retention/turnover and leadership of public universities shall be established and maintained.
At the conclusion of phase one, the study team had drafted participatory training manuals in gender and leadership with content on; gender specific critical analysis of the leadership spectrum of public universities, positioning of individual women within the institutional framework and strategies for their advancement, gender equity advocacy in the university setting, institutional mentorship, building capacity in conducting gender-responsive research, among others.
“This content will be validated by the participating universities before the actual research training is conducted” added the PI.
On behalf of the research team, Dr. Mugisha Baine thanked the Government of Uganda for providing the resources that facilitated phase one of the study and prayed that the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) would support the next phase of capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC Chairperson, Prof. William Bazeyo, Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked and congratulated the team led by the Director GMD upon the milestones registered in the critical research.
“We are very proud of that work that is being done by all researchers in Mak-RIF and we would like to most sincerely thank Management for all the support throughout this process” she remarked.
Dr. Nkabala encouraged the research team to continue disseminating and using the findings for the furtherance of gender mainstreaming, particularly through the aspect of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions.
Prior to delivering the keynote address of the day, the Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Prof. Mary Okwakol thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for inviting her to the important forum, noting that women’s participation in decision making and governance is a priority area of the Uganda Gender Policy 2007.
She commended Makerere University for being at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in Uganda, noting that this prominence was one of the reasons why the Gender in Education Policy 2007 provides for replicating the institution’s strategy in all other Higher Education Institutions.
Prof. Okwakol whose keynote address was punctuated incisive personal examples reaffirmed the statistics that women are generally not visible in leadership of Universities. That notwithstanding, in instances where they rise to leadership and decision-making positions, they are regularly subject to roles traditionally deemed as women’s inconsiderate of their managerial seniority and experience.
She nevertheless rallied the women to play their respective roles in enhancing participation and visibility at a personal level. The following were some of the strategies she proposed; work hard to acquire academic credentials so as to compete favourably with men, acquire necessary administrative training and experience, network among women, join professional networks as well as do research and publish.
On joining professional networks, she shared her personal experience as a young zoologist who joined UNESCO’s Tropical Biology and Fertility Programme. “Within a short time I was appointed Coordinator for Africa and after two years, I was elected as a Member of the International Board of Management. After serving for two years, I became Vice Chairperson of that Board and finally I became Chairperson of that International Board.”
At the institutional level, Prof. Okwakol appealed to the Chairperson Council and Vice Chancellor to proactively recruit women who meet the requirements for leadership positions even if it means actively seeking out the reluctant ones. In this regard, she shared that it would be useful for the university to develop a database of women and their qualifications to ease this process.
She shared that NCHE has in recognition of female underrepresentation at every level in Higher Education approved the establishment of a Gender and Equity Unit with the aim of promoting inclusive gender participation in the sub-sector.
“This unit has been placed under the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation which implies that as we look out for and regulate quality, gender will be a very important aspect of that regulation” she reassured.
Prof. Okwakol concluded by urging participants to read the; Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Uganda Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noting that there is no way all three can be achieved while women are left behind because they each make a case for inclusion of the female gender.
“What we are addressing here are historical injustices” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe as he commenced his remarks, “And in the case of Makerere University, it is well known that the institution started as a male-only institution and we all know the original motto was ‘Let us be men’” he added.
Citing examples from history such as; Marie Curie – one of the smartest physicists, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra – prominent Pharaohs of Egypt, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg and Hypatia – all great philosophers as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel – first female Chancellor of Germany, the Vice Chancellor said there is no plausible argument that there are things women cannot do as well as their male counterparts.
He said it was against this knowledge and in a bid to correct historical injustices that Makerere University pioneered initiatives such as putting in place affirmative action for girls, establishing a Gender Mainstreaming Directorate as well as a School of Women and Gender Studies. The Vice Chancellor nevertheless stressed the need to go beyond pioneering to protecting these gains through legislation. “Historically we have seen that discrimination can only be addressed by laws and policies.”
Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government for providing funds to support Mak-RIF as well as the Funds GMC and Secretariat for ensuring that these funds are put to good use. He equally thanked the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara for her not only her support but also sparing time to attend a good number of the research dissemination events.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Mrs. Magara acknowledged that the study was timely and relevant the contemporary University, as one of the critical drivers of the national and international development agenda. She therefore reechoed the Vice Chancellor’s thanks to the Government of Uganda for generously supporting the University’s research through Mak-RIF.
Turning to the keynote speaker she said, “I thank Prof. Okwakol for ardently discussing the critical issues affecting the female gender, the strategies to overcome the challenges, including sharing her inspiring personal experiences.”
Mrs. Magara equally thanked Prof. Okwakol for her very instructional analysis, providing mentorship guidance with the resultant impact of enhancing the female gender in decision-making positions. In the same breath she congratulated the PI and her team upon successfully concluding phase one of the project.
“Phase one has generated insights in understanding the status of women in leadership in public universities, the legal and policy framework and its implications on women’s visibility, the institutional mentoring systems and the gaps therein” she observed.
The Chairperson of Council acknowledged that the challenge of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles cannot be resolved at an individual level. She therefore advocated for broad based strategies that can address deep-seated structural and cultural biases facing women. “These include developing mentorship networks, enacting laws and policies that address the imbalances and providing training programmes to address the leadership gaps.”
She therefore pledged the University Council’s unwavering support to the Gender Mainstreaming Programme by ensuring an enabling policy environment that facilitates gender-responsive teaching, learning, research innovation and community service.
The research dissemination was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
