General
MoES, Council Commend Progress on DARP Project
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) represented by the Director Education Standards, Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda and the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara have commended the progress made by the Digitalizing of Academic Records and Processes (DARP) project so far. DARP is a collaboration between the Department of the Academic Registrar (AR), the East African School of Library and Information Science (EASLIS), Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS), and School of Education.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the ultimate goal of the DARP project is to improve the status of both undergraduate and graduate academic records by preserving them, converting them into digital form, and automating academic processes for e-service delivery.
In her remarks at the blended dissemination event held on 1st September 2021, Dr. Turyagyenda who was part of the virtual audience congratulated the Makerere University Management and the Department of Academic Registrar upon embracing the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) by using ICT to strengthen its document retrieval processes.
“As you are aware, Makerere University is not only the mother University for Uganda but for East and Central Africa. It should always be ahead and set an example for the rest” noted Dr. Turyagyenda who added that the project was in line with the National e-Government Policy Framework.
She congratulated Makerere upon completing the first phase of the three-year project but nevertheless requested that the remaining phases be completed promptly so as to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
“I am really delighted to join you on the occasion of presenting yet another digitisation initiative at Makerere University” admitted the Chairperson of Council as she began her remarks.
Mrs. Magara noted that the digitisation of all university processes is the core target of the Council. This is illustrated by the ongoing initiatives such as the e-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS), Academic Records Information System (MakARIS), digitisation of Financial Management process among others. She added that the DARP project was in line with the second goal of the university strategic plan that focuses on fostering innovations in teaching and learning that respond to the changing environment.
“The sudden change of our work environment following the outbreak of COVID-19 almost two years ago demands that we fast track initiatives to deliver services with limited physical contact. I see the digitisation of our academic records as a crucial step in adapting to the new working environment” she explained.
The Chairperson of Council nevertheless urged the University to develop a risk profile and management plan for e-resources to guard against the challenges of digitisation such as system failures and data piracy. “We must ensure that university systems have the necessary protection against these risks.”
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe noted that digitisation of student records has been of great concern to the University Council and Management, given the physical nature and age of some of the records. He therefore thanked the Government for providing funds to support the DARP project through Mak-RIF, and the commitment to continue providing resources for research and innovations at the institution.
Prof. Nawangwe equally thanked the Chairperson and Members of Council for their continual support to Management in the execution of various initiatives and institutional programmes. “The issue of digitisation has been one of the most important issues the Chairperson has been emphasisng to us and we thank Council for their leadership and support.”
The Vice Chancellor announced the University Management’s recommendation that part of the relief funding by the MasterCard Foundation to Makerere University following the fire that gutted the Main Building be allocated to support the DARP project to its conclusive end. The announcement was received with thunderous applause from the team and engagement participants.
The Academic Registrar, Mr. Alfred Masikye Namoah while inviting the Principal Investigator Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi to share project updates and achievements also thanked Government for supporting the non-funded priority areas in Makerere University. He additionally applauded Prof. William Bazeyo, the Head Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) and Chairperson Mak-RIF GMC for leading efforts on resource mobilization for the university noting that these resources have benefited university scholars, students and even partners outside the university. He emphasized the need to work even harder to accomplish already running projects including the DARP project.
Making a presentation on what had been achieved under Phase I of the DARP project, the Principal Investigator (PI), Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi thanked the Government, University Council, Management and the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) headed by Prof. William Bazeyo for the funding and support that had propelled the project to its present stage. She paid tribute to the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Dr. Josephine Nabukenya for the guidance during the grant preparation stage as well as the Academic Registrar, Mr. Alfred Masikye Namoah and Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) leadership for supervising the project.
Mrs. Mushengyezi introduced members of her team who included; Archivist-Dr. David Luyombya, Project Coordinator/ Administration-Dr. Peace B. Tumuheki-Mukombe, ICT Specialist/Administrator Records-Ms. Ruth Iteu Eyoku, Database Managers-Mr. Tonny Oluka and Mr. Juma Katongole, Monitoring and Evaluation in-charge-Dr. Betty Akullu Ezati and Project Accountant-Mr. Gyaviira Lubowa.
The PI shared that DARP is a multiyear project made up of the following three phases;
Phase 1: Planning/preparation for system design
- Identification and classification of records
- Physical organisation of records (sorting, arranging, labelling, archiving)
- Study visits
Phase 2: System Design and Implementation
- Scanning, archiving, data entry
- Digitizing records and automation of processes
- Policy formulation and approval
- Refurbishment of the Senate conference Hall for provision of ICT services
Phase 3: Implementation and Evaluation
- Installation of Records Management System
- Establishing a Records Verification and Certification Centre
Mrs. Mushengyezi shared that as a result of completion of Phase 1, the DARP project had; Sorted and cleaned at least 80% of undergraduate students’ results and files, Established 50% inventory of existing records, Recorded and labelled Senate minutes and records, Opened files for vital documents and closed redundant files, as well as Archived, labelled and systematically shelved boxes containing records.
Furthermore, the reorganisation had; Helped redeem space while creating a better working environment, Prepared records for digitisation under Phase 2, Facilitated easy retrieval of records, Conserved and preserved records – some over 50 years old, and Equipped 10 students of Bachelor of Records and Archives Management and Bachelor of Library and Information Science with hands-on experience.
The PI recommended that funds should be availed to help procure modern records storage facilities such as electronic rotating shelves, which help ensure efficient space utilisation. She further recommended that Makerere should identify land where an off-site record storage facility can be constructed and safely secured for university records. This, she added, could act as an income generating facility, whereby government and non-government entities could be allowed to store their records at a fee.
Appreciating the importance and long overdue implementation of the DARP project, Prof. William Bazeyo the Head Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) and Chairperson Mak-RIF GMC announced that funding had already been earmarked for Phases 2 and 3 of the project.
“I would like to affirm to the Academic Registrar that of the resources we received, one of the projects Makerere will be happy to support is DARP Phases 2 and 3. The GMC has approved these subsequent phases because this is something we think we ought to do” announced Prof. Bazeyo to yet more thunderous applause.
Prof. Bazeyo paid tribute to the Chairperson and Members of Council for their support to Management, which underlined their commitment to cause change through digitisation of processes. He equally paid tribute to the Vice Chancellor for his vision of unlocking the potential of Makerere University.
The concluding remarks at the dissemination were delivered by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Umar Kakumba who was represented by the Deputy Director DRGT, Dr. Robert Wamala. He sincerely appreciated the Government for the first disbursement of funds to Mak-RIF for the current financial year despite the COVID-19 crisis and various commitments. He concluded by thanking the PI and her team for the commendable job done despite the enormity of the task, and the GMC for guaranteeing funding for the remaining phases of the project.
Rev. Can. Onesimus Asiimwe, the Chaplain St. Francis Chapel delivered the opening and closing prayers at the dissemination that was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer, Ms. Ritah Namisango as well as the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
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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