General
Mind Education, an Enabler of National Development
In 1962, the GDP per capita of South Korea was US$90. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that country had poor soils, no mineral resources to exploit and hostile neighbours. During the winter when the temperatures dropped to -5 degrees centigrade, it was not uncommon for the less fortunate to either starve or freeze to death.
This vicious cycle of poverty continued until the 1960s when President Park worked hard to introduce Mind Education to help change the mindset of the South Korean population. Mind Education programmes were introduced in school curricula and as the mindsets of people changed, the country evolved. Today, South Korea is ranked highly among developed countries with a GDP per capita above US$30,000.
This picture of South Korea’s remarkable transition was painted by Prof. Johan Kim, Chairman of the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) in East Africa. Prof. Kim made his presentation at the virtual Mind Education Workshop for staff of Makerere University hosted by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on Friday 6th November 2020. The Workshop was organized by the Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire and the Dean, School of Psychology, Assoc. Prof. Grace Milly Kibanja in partnership with IYF.
Welcoming participants to the workshop, Dr. Kibanja shared that the School of Psychology had been collaborating with IYF since 2015. Together, the School and IYF have organised youth conferences both within and outside the university and reached out to prisons to conduct Mind Education.
“In 2019 we piloted the Mind Education Course among second year students of the Bachelor of Industrial and Organisational Psychaology and this is still ongoing. We are planning to conduct an evaluation of the programme soon” added Dr. Kibanja.
Explaining why the School had taken lead in this initiative, the Dean said that since Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, as sure as night follows day, training in upright judgment and clear reasoning would inevitably lead to positive behavioural change. “Mind Education is geared towards strengthening our hearts and minds to overcome resistance to change by rising above our unpleasant desires.”
In her remarks, the Principal CHUSS observed that it is important to generate a network of people who will not just complain about problems but seek to create solutions and forge a way forward. “As Principal, I am happy about Mind Education because I think it will go a long way in creating a generation that will take the future in its hands and craft solutions accordingly.”
In this regard, she thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nawangwe for always being on the lookout for opportunities that can foster the delivery of Makerere University’s mandate. “The mindset change conversation is very important to us as an institution and we need to mainstream it in the programmes that we teach at Makerere.”
Dr. Ahikire pointed out that although people on the African continent face a number of challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated that we have the capacity to come up with appropriate solutions. Strengthening this mindset, she noted, would enable us to train a resilient generation.
“I therefore thank the International Youth Fellowship for this very important collaboration with the School of Psychology and Makerere University in general. We welcome you and we embrace the Mind Education Programme as we build for the future.”
Prof. Johan Kim in his presentation noted that the mindset change in South Korea had spawned a generation of optimistic innovators and researchers who helped to turn their national economy around. This evolution meant that the hitherto disadvantaged country had gradually become a leading global exporter of goods whose raw materials they didn’t even produce.
“Today, South Korea is the seventh leading exporter of refined petroleum, a leading exporter of coffee and for a country that doesn’t have iron ore, home to the largest shipbuilding companies in the world” remarked Prof. Kim.
He concluded his presentation with the illustration of Koi’s law. Koi is a Japanese fish whose growth is proportional to the environment it is kept in. In a fish bowl, it grows to from 5 to 8cm, while in a pond it grows from 12 to 25cm. However, when the same fish is placed in a river it grows to a whooping 90 to 120cm. “The environment in which we keep our minds will determine where (how far) we go.”
Prof. Kim reassured that once the youth acquire a strong and positive mindset through Mind Education, the way they look at their country is bound to change. “Through Mind Education, we shall be able to move the mindset of our young people from the fishbowl to the pond to the river.”
As participants were still absorbing Prof. Kim’s fascinating presentation, it was time to be treated to yet another captivating performance, this time by the Gracias Choir, an orchestra and choral ensemble founded by Rev. Dr. Ock Soo Park in the year 2000. Their melodious and well-assembled performance of the Ugandan National anthem and Yansumulula Nze; a Luganda gospel song, amazed the participants.
Following this spectacular performance, the Keynote Speaker Rev. Dr. Ock Soo Park “took to the stage” to deliver his Special Lecture on Mindset with through his proficient translator. He began by stressing the importance of applying ones heart to scenes that play out daily, noting that people who’d mastered the art of taking care of and using their heart were a world apart.
Like a true Evangelist, Rev. Dr. Park delivered his special lecture in storytelling fashion, starting off with his own life as a nineteen year old and the difficulties he faced to the story of the beautiful, well-educated young lady who against all advice chose to marry a crippled uneducated young man.
He captivated his audience by painting a picture of the uphill task faced by the girl in breaking the news to her parents, to the suspicion she aroused from the young man’s family, which suspicion melted into pure bliss when they discovered how serious she was. Rev. Dr. Park had us all eating out of the palm of his hand as he narrated how this love story progressed into marriage, complete with all the facial expressions, appropriate sounds and hand gestures, leading us past blooming flowers up the mountain to the peak.
Suddenly, the beautiful tale veered off, taking a dark ghastly turn. Happily ever after gave way to ominous foreboding as the young man’s envy and rage overwhelmed his sense of reason. Mistaking his beautiful bride’s market errands for moments spent cavorting with other able-bodied men, he resorted to violent assault, shattering body and heart, a sad turn of events, a bitter end.
The Evangelist now had us where he wanted. It was time to deliver his blow, or so we thought. He then switched gears, shifting to a tale of South Korean car manufacturers and how the power of Mind Education had turned this sector’s fortunes around. Having depended on the Japanese to supply car engines for their brands for years, the South Koreans felt that they had gained sufficient experience to assemble their own and therefore asked their former supplier to teach them this skill. This request had been met with persistent “it’s too hard” responses year after year. When the South Koreans threatened to make their own engines, this announcement was received as the joke of the century by the Japanese.
Frustrated and insulted, the South Koreans had returned home, assembled their teams, shared their vision to build their own engines going forward and embarked on the herculean task. As fate would have it, they were pleasantly surprised to learn assembling car engines wasn’t as hard as the Japanese had made it seem. The rest as they say is history. Today South Korean car exports are worth billions of dollars.
“If you think more deeply, you get to think of things other people don’t. Leave behind your first level of thought and try to embrace deep thinking. If you go about life thinking deeply, you will live a blessed glorious life” concluded Rev. Dr. Park.
In the reactions that followed, a participant wondered why mindset change has been less experienced in Africa and whether the environment had any effect on this. In response, Prof. Kim noted that South Koreans too were in the past more concerned about basic living (eating and sleeping), and quitessentially focused more on how to become rich. “Many people in Africa are focusing on the materialistic or hardware more than the software part of our life. We need a lot of awareness through Mind Education especially for the youth so that they can think more in terms of development than daily needs.”
Another participant sought to find out whether frustration plays a role in mindset change. Prof. Kim responded by sharing that a weak heart and mindset are the primary reason why people are easily frustrated or stressed by anything. “This is because such a person is usually avoiding burdens or difficulties of life. When we continuously allow our mindset to collide with burdens and difficulties, our hearts become stronger. As such, we are able to easily overcome hardship when it comes our way.”
Delivering the closing remarks, the Host, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared that civilization started in Africa 5,000 years ago and for over 800 years, the Moors occupied Spain. Whereas these ancient civilizations had collapsed, the Vice Chancellor opined that it was still possible for Makerere University to be inspired by the South Korean success and as the top black University lead the mindset change campaign. “For the last few weeks, I have seen a lot coming out of Makerere University in the form of research and innovations from every college. This is commendable.”
Prof. Nawangwe observed that whereas our population is exploding, our resources are not and as such a quick solution is needed to address this. As a first step, the School of Psychology was working closely with IYF to explore how to incorporate Mind Education into the curriculum. The Vice Chancellor also shared that a second workshop was in the offing and staff would be informed about the dates accordingly.
He thanked Rev. Dr. Park for delivering the keynote, as well as Dr. Ahikire, Dr. Kibanja and the IYF representatives, Prof. Kim and Pastor Part for organizing the Workshop. He equally thanked all participants taking time off to attend the workshop. “We cannot continue leaving our fate to chance; we have this fate in our hands.”
Article by Public Relations Office.
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Makerere University on Thursday 15th May, 2025 embarked on a two-day induction exercise spearheaded by the Directorate of Human Resources for newly appointed staff, whose tenures commenced in the 2024/2025 financial year. Held in the Senate Conference Hall, day one of the induction was presided over by the Acting (Ag.) Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
Warmly welcoming the new staff, Prof. Buyinza congratulated the ladies and gentlemen upon choosing Makerere University as the workplace for embarking on their next phase of professional growth, self-discovery, and personal development.
“You are joining a century-old institution with a distinguished history and a deeply rooted culture of academic excellence” Prof. Buyinza remarked. “For over 100 years, Makerere has nurtured the intellectual talents of young people and contributed meaningfully to the development of society across the globe,” he added.
The Ag. DVCAA nevertheless tipped that although the onboarding process might overwhelm staff with a lot of information, it is all meant to enable them better understand their roles, the benefits due them, and the unique opportunities that come with working in a world-class institution. Prof. Buyinza therefore encouraged new staff to contribute to the attainment of Makerere’s Mission, connect with the vibrant community they are now part of, enjoy the beautiful greenery the campus affords, and take advantage of professional development as well as well-being promoting programmes.
“At Makerere University, the well-being, safety, and professional growth of our staff are priorities. We are committed to walking this journey with you, and to building an institution that is not only a place of work but a place of inspiration and belonging” Prof. Buyinza reassured.
In his welcome remarks, the Chief Human Resources Officer, Mr. Deus Tayari Mujuni congratulated the new staff upon successfully completing the rigorous process the resulted into their respective appointments. He equally thanked the Vice Chancellor for endorsing the induction ceremony with not only budgetary support but also his representation.
Reiterating the need to appreciate the culture, politics and dynamics of the institution that they are now part of, Mr. Mujuni tasked new staff to take time and appreciate the University Vision, Mission and Objectives, and ensure that they adhere to them. He equally urged new staff to read and understand the various university policies and where in doubt, consult the relevant offices.
Ultimately, he urged staff in the fulfilment of their duties and responsibilities not to disregard their individual goals. “You have aspirations that you must achieve as an individual and I encourage you not to neglect them.”
The University Council as the supreme governing body of the university is also the policy making body, whose Appointments Board oversees the appointment, promotion, removal from service, and discipline of all university staff and officers. The representative of Staff with Disabilities on University Council, Mr. Amon Muteganda Kabahima who chaired the session on University Governance equally congratulated new staff.
“You underwent a tough process full of various competitive stages and we are sure that we have the right people for the various jobs” he commended.
Addressing aspects of University Governance and the key Offices, the University Secretary and Secretary to Council, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda guided that the policies and regulations that govern the institution are broad, numerous, and as such cannot adequately be covered over the two-day induction. He nevertheless encouraged staff to visit the University Policies website and appraise themselves with the details, not only for avoidance of breaching them but also building a culture voluntary compliance.
Mr. Kiranda equally encouraged staff not to ascribe importance and respect to colleagues based on rank and titles but seek to esteem each and every member of staff as an important and vital contributor to the fulfilment of the University’s Vision and Mission.
“We are all equally important in this university; the person whose services the university does not require, it does not hire. As long as you are here, you are required” he explained.
The University Secretary equally called upon staff to familiarize themselves with the law that establishes and governs public universities; the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA). In his presentation, he singled out section twenty-four (24) that outlines the objectives of a public university in Uganda, as well as sections 30 to 32 that prescribe various offices’ responsibilities.
Mr. Kiranda equally encouraged staff to read the Human Resources Manual, Policy and Regulations against Sexual Harassment (PRASH), the Safeguarding Policy, among others. He concluded by reiterating the need for staff to read and appreciate the policies that directly address their welfare and steer clear of negative narratives and discourse, particularly those that seek to weaponize discourse. Other topics to be covered during the two-day induction include; the University Strategic Plan, Financing, Research-led Agenda, Institutional Communication and Public Relations and the Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS). Topics to be covered on day two include; Legal Instruments, The Collegiate System, Human Resources Management and Functions, as well as Policies on Gender Equality and Sexual Harassment. Others include; Academic Issues, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Audit, and Library Resources.
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