Connect with us

Research

Building higher level skills to drive development in Africa: The case of the RUFORUM Doctoral Regional Training Programmes

Published

on

Africa still lacks the required human capacity to respond to critical development challenges. Skills are inadequate in many areas from primary to tertiary level, and vocational training. There is need to develop high-level skills, institutional capacities, critical technical skills, and resources in key investment areas. The current situation is a major constraint to the implementation of development programmes and continental frameworks hence the foreseen delayed emergence of African counties as knowledge economies. Progress has so far been made by several regional stakeholders to identify the key critical soft and hard skills that are necessary to drive the Africa Agenda 2063. With this, educational institutions being the main actors in the skills, competencies and technological development value chains, are expected to transform and realign their interventions to develop the high-level skills needed to deliver Africa Agenda 2063. The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) responded by commissioning an institutional and competence analysis of its then 10 member universities to document strengths and weaknesses, status of facilities, human resources/expertise and experiences to map out the niche areas as well as institutional comparative strengths and weaknesses. Other studies also identified skills and competence gaps in students graduating from African universities. A key outcome of this process was the adoption of strong course-based doctoral training that involved engagement with other leading experts in and outside Africa in the training. In 2008, RUFORUM launched the coursework-based doctoral regional training programmes, and has since supported the establishment of seven such programmes, namely Agricultural Rural Innovations, Food Science and Nutrition, Soil and Water Management, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Agricultural Resource Economics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, and Dryland Resource Management. As part of building institutional capacity and recognizing excellence, some of programmes have become part of the African Higher Education Centres of Excellence. These include: African Centre of Excellence in Agro-ecology and Livelihood Systems (ACALISE) at Uganda Martyrs University in Uganda; Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation at Haramaya University in Ethiopia; African Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture and Agribusiness Management at Egerton University in Kenya; Africa Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in Malawi; and Makerere Regional Center for Crop Improvement at Makerere University in Uganda. These programmes have supported training of over 420 doctoral students in Africa who are now contributing to the development of the African continent in different capacities in the agricultural sector and leadership positions. These programmes remain relevant today and are inspiring the development of other regional training programmes to fill the required skills and knowledge gaps in the continent.

Read more

Mark Wamai

Research

TUM SEED Center: Two Doctoral Scholarships in Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Published

on

Female and Male participants engaged in a practical session during the 8th Training Workshop in Solar Photovoltaic Installation and Maintenance, Biogas Production and Solar Thermal Systems held in May 2022 at the Department of Physics, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

TUM SEED Center

Announcement of Two Doctoral Scholarships
“Sustainable Entrepreneurship”

Call for Applications

The TUM SEED Center is an Excellence Centre for Exchange and Development, funded by DAAD and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development from 2020 to 2029. The TUM SEED Center conducts research and offers higher education at the intersection of Sustainable Energies, Entrepreneurship and Development (SEED) in the Global South. The TUM SEED Center consists of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and ten leading technical universities across the Global South, including Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia), Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia), Burkina Institute of Technology (Burkina Faso), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (Kenya), Makerere University (Uganda), Namibia University of Science and Technology (Namibia), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (Peru), and Stellenbosch University (South Africa). Through its international and interdisciplinary doctoral program, the TUM SEED Center fosters academic exchange and facilitates excellent research.

This announcement invites master’s students from the Global South with excellent academic track records and strong motivation to apply for the two doctoral scholarships in “Sustainable Entrepreneurship”. The doctoral scholarships will focus on scaling and impact of sustainable enterprises in the context of the mini-grid sector, contributing to SDG 7, Clean and Affordable Energy for All by 2030. The selected and awarded doctoral scholars will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz from the TUM School of Management at the Technical University of Munich.

The SEED doctoral scholarship includes a monthly stipend of EUR 1300, international mobility grants, insurance support, family support for a spouse and children, and annual support. The duration of the scholarship program is 4 years, starting from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2029. SEED doctoral scholars are expected to:

  • Demonstrate a strong commitment to the work as a doctoral student.
  • Participate and contribute to the activities of the TUM SEED Center (e.g. annual symposia)
  • Engage in academic exchange (i.e., visit and collaborate with partner universities)

Application requirements:

  • Master’s degree in management or related fields (with a focus on entrepreneurship)
  • Excellent academic track record
  • Extracurricular skills, social engagement, and strong motivation
  • Nationality from one of the eligible countries in the Global South

Qualified women and individuals with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply. Based on the applications, some candidates will be invited for a task assignment regarding research in sustainable entrepreneurship. The final candidates will be invited for an online interview with Prof. Dr. Frank-Martin Belz and his team. The Selection Commission of the TUM SEED Center will make the final decision in line with DAAD criteria.

To apply, please upload your CV, a strong letter of motivation highlighting the fit to the TUM SEED Center, and certificates, including the transcript of records through the online form:
https://wkf.ms/3YQbhq9 by 31 January 2025.

If you have any questions regarding the announcement of the two doctoral scholarships for “Sustainable Entrepreneurship,” feel free to contact Dr. Alessia Argiolas (Email: Alessia.Argiolas@tum.de).

TUM SEED Center, Technical University of Munich, Alte Akademie 14, 85354 Freising, Germany, www.seed.tum.de

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Research

The Uganda Higher Education Review Vol. 12, Issue 1

Published

on

The cover page of the Uganda Higher Education Review Vol 12, Issue 1. NCHE, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) is mandated under Section 4(b) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 262, to promote and develop the processing and dissemination of information on higher education for the benefit of the public. In line with this mandate, NCHE has consistently advanced scholarly discourse in higher education through The Uganda Higher Education Review Journal, published semi-annually in May and November.

It is my privilege to present to you Volume 12, Issue 1 (November 2024) of the journal, now available electronically via DOI: 10.58653 and with ISSN 1813-2243 (print) and 2958-5473 (online). The articles in this issue embody a profound commitment to rigorous inquiry, intellectual curiosity, and scholarly excellence.

This edition explores critical themes, including:

  1. Financing and Investment in Higher Education.
  2. The Adoption of Emerging Technologies in the Digital Transformation of Higher Education.
  3. Improving Access and Inclusivity in Higher Education in Uganda: Addressing the Nation’s Low Gross Enrolment Ratio.
  4. The Role of the Private Sector in Enhancing Graduate Skills and Employability through Technology Innovation.

I sincerely appreciate the contributors whose unwavering dedication to their fields has enriched the publication. I also acknowledge the exceptional efforts of the authors, NCHE staff and Management, the editorial team, and the reviewers. Their expertise and commitment have been instrumental in ensuring the quality and integrity of the research presented in this volume.

Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Natural Sciences

CARTA Fellow Anywar Attends 2024 World Science Forum

Published

on

Dr. Godwin Anywar, at the 2024 World Science Forum that took place in Budapest, Hungary from 20th-23rd November. College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, Makerere University, attended the 2024 World Science Forum that took place on November 20 – 23, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary. At the forum, he participated in a side event: ‘Trust in Science’, a workshop for early career researchers organized by the Global Young Academy (GYA) and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). 

On November 26 – 28, 2024, he attended the twentieth annual meeting of the African Science Academies (AMASA 2024) and the General Assembly of the Network of African Academies of Sciences (NASAC), in Algiers, Algeria. He presented on ‘Promoting Science Diplomacy for Sustainable Development in Africa’ as one the co-leads of the Science Diplomacy in Africa working group of the Global Young Academy’. 

Godwin also participated in the Uganda Text Book Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (UTANA)- hybrid symposium on authorship capacity where he moderated a panel session on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and academic authorship. With the theme ‘Capacity building for academic and nonfiction authorship for Africa’s Transformation’ the symposium took place from November 14 -15, 2024 in Kampala, Uganda. 

Additionally, he attended and moderated a session on the regulation and registration of herbal medicinal products (HMP) in African countries. Organized by the Society for Medicinal Plants and Natural Products Research (GA) in collaboration with PharmaConnect Africa NPC and The Natural Products Research Network for Eastern and Central Africa (NAPRECA), the session was part of an eSeminar series ‘Regulation of Natural Products – a Global Challenge’.

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 83

Mark Wamai

Continue Reading

Trending