The Principal Investigator, Dr. Badru Musisi (Front Row Centre) with members of the research team and participants during the training, 30th November 2021.
The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) is to start equipping Uganda Police Force (UPF) officers with soft skills. The training will be conducted by a team of researchers led by Dr. Badru Musisi and Dr. Joyce Bukirwa Rebecca. The project; Promoting Community Policing by Integrating Soft-skills in Uganda Police Training Programs, is funded by the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovations Fund (RIF).
The project seeks to augment Community Policing by integrating Soft Skills in Uganda Police Force training programs.
While UPF is rated among the best forces in the region, the same cannot be said about its image.The discrepancy between the force’s performance and the way it is perceived by the public is due to the widening social-distance between UPF and the community it needs to collaborate with.
The Principal Investigator of the project, Dr. Badru Musisi, attributed this to the officers’ limited display of soft-skill policing.
“Yet, a professional blend of hard and soft skill policing is the cornerstone for effective Community Policing,” he emphasized.
Participants take part in a group exercise.
Dr. Musisi was speaking during the launch of the project on November 30th at Nican Hotel in Lweza. The stakeholder engagement was attended by various commissioners of police, directors, prisons officers, military officers, private security firms, legal officers, religious leaders, civil society, boda boda and Taxi operators among others.
It is hoped that the blend of soft and hard skills will enable UPF to collaboratively work with communities to keep Uganda safe and secure.
The research team intends to design a transformative, scalable and context specific framework to guide the police in its training and conduct.
Speaking during the opening of the meeting, the Director of Training, AIGP Golooba Godfrey Kiwanuka, thanked Makerere University for partnering with the Uganda Police Force to contribute to its professionalisaiton, saying learning is a process that never ends.
He thanked the university for its continued support to the force especially through the various short trainings offered as well as the masters training the university offers to UPF.
The project hopes to achieve some milestones in getting the police officers to use intra and inter-personal attributes such as:
Cope with stress and manage stressful situations
Relate with people, think critically and creatively;
Use emotional intelligence to solve problems;
Demonstrate good judgement, keep an open mind;
Control one’s impulse, display empathy/compassion
Resolve conflict; de-escalate tense situations;
Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication
Dr. Musisi said the project team intends to integrate Soft-skills in UPF training programs because owing to concerns for officer safety, police training curricula emphasize hard skills such as physical control tactics and weapons more than soft skills such as de-escalation skills and behavioral science.
Participants engage in a group discussion during the project launch on 30th November 2021 at Nican Hotel, Lweza.
He also noted that the power dynamics in police training schools in a way is a challenge to the Community Policing culture because in training schools, the tradition is that the powerless (police cadets), have to submit without question to the authority of the powerful (training staff). Failure to comply is punished by verbal abuse or physical punishment and yet the same cadets are expected to treat the powerless wanainchi in the community with dignity and respect.
“So, integrating empathy, compassion, impulse control etc., in police training programs can help to pacify the young Police officers,” Dr. Musisi emphasized.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Determine the Soft Skills gaps in UPF training programs;
Develop a catalog of the needed Soft Skills by benchmarking domestic and foreign police soft-skilling programs;
Design a transformative, scalable and context-specific framework for embedding Soft Skills in UPF training programs;
Train UPF trainers to integrate Soft Skills in police training programs using the framework designed.
PROJECT TEAM
Dr. Badru Musisi (PI)
Prof. F.M. Masagazi (CO-PI)
Dr. Joyce Bukirwa
Dr. Kasozi Ferdinand
Dr. Allen Nalugwa
Hajat. Nuliyati Nabiwande
Betty Kyakuwa is the Principal Communication Officer CEES
This report on mapping research in education intends to ignite debate on completion of doctoral studies to improve on doctoral throughput, and reflect on emerging research themes in order to strengthen and increase on evidence-based research from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) that can address a myriad of education related challenges in Uganda and beyond. The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) is one of the ten (10) constituent colleges of Makerere University. Makerere University aspires to be research-led in the current strategic period, 2020-2030 and as CEES journeys ‘Towards a Research-led College’, it is prudent to take stock of research capacity by analyzing PhD graduates of the period 2012-2024 and continuing PhD students admitted by 2022/2023 as well as the emerging research themes in CEES.
First, the total number of PhD completers was 121 in the period 2012-2024 out of whom only six (6) completed in less than 5 years, which is only 5 percent. This is a worrying statistic since at Makerere University, an institutional average of 41% of registered PhD students is reported to complete within four (4) years. Apparently, majority of the completers in CEES complete in 5-9 years represented by 86 PhD graduates. In the same way, among the continuing PhD students, only 59 out of 194 PhD students have spent 3-4 years on the programme perhaps because their year of admission is relatively recent. Second, the research themes that the doctoral research focuses on were explored. Nineteen (19) out of 121 PhD graduates had researched on human resource management, eleven (11) focused on technology in education, eleven (11) on pedagogy/teaching and learning, and only five (5) on inclusive education among others. In the continuing student cohort, there is a surge in students researching on pedagogy /teaching and learning (24), technology in education (20), inclusive education (16), and emergence of a research theme on STEM Education/TVET (17) out of 194 continuing PhD students.
To compound the research themes at CEES, PhD student and academic staff research funded by the Government of Uganda through Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (MakRIF) focused on quite similiar themes. Finally, areas of research that have been dominant across specialities in CEES in the last and next 5-10 years were highlighted by 28 academic staff at different ranks who responded to a survey. Overall, this report presents us with an opportunity to further reflect on the CEES Research Agenda, how to tap and maximize the potential of expertise in CEES, how to harness the diverse PhD research in education and research by academic staff in order to strongly generate impactful research and innovations, and contribute to policy and practice through policy briefs, knowledge briefs, and guidelines for uptake in education and the education system.
Ronald Bisaso, PhD. FUNAS. Associate Professor of Higher Education and Deputy Principal, CEES.
The Department of Science, Technical and Vocational Education (DSTVE) at the School of Education, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) witnessed a transition in leadership on January 28, 2025, as Dr. John Ssentongo officially handed over the reins to Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe. The handover ceremony, presided over by the Dean of the School of Education, Prof. Mulumba Mathias, was attended by key stakeholders, including Mr. Mutebi Patrick from the Directorate of Human Resources, Ms. Mbabazi Winnie from Internal Audit, and other departmental staff.
In his farewell remarks, Dr. Ssentongo, who has served as Head of Department (HoD) for four years, expressed his gratitude to the university management, CEES leadership, and DSTVE staff for their unwavering support throughout his tenure. He highlighted several accomplishments during his leadership, including:
Curriculum Development – Successful reviews of the Bachelor of Science with Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, and Master of Education Science Education programs.
Infrastructure Upgrades – Renovation of the DSTVE building, refurbishment of the Resource Center, and enhancement of laboratories.
Staff Development – Promotion of several academic staff and recruitment of new lecturers.
Campus Beautification – Landscaping and greening of the DSTVE compound to enhance the learning environment.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Mulumba Mathias, Dean of the School of Education, commended Dr. Ssentongo for his dedicated service and transformative leadership at DSTVE. He acknowledged the outgoing HoD’s efforts in strengthening the academic and administrative structure of the department, particularly in curriculum development and facility improvements.
“Dr. Ssentongo has demonstrated exceptional leadership, resilience, and dedication in steering DSTVE towards excellence. His tenure has set a solid foundation for growth, and we are confident that Dr. Batiibwe will continue this momentum. The School of Education remains committed to supporting DSTVE in addressing existing challenges, particularly in staffing and resource mobilization,” remarked Prof. Mulumba.
He further urged Dr. Batiibwe to build on the department’s achievements and work closely with university leadership to advance technical and vocational education.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe expressed her commitment to building on the successes of her predecessor, strengthening academic programs, and addressing the critical staffing gaps. She emphasized the need for collaborative leadership to propel DSTVE to greater heights.
As DSTVE embarks on this new chapter, the department remains steadfast in its mission to train skilled educators and enhance technical and vocational education in Uganda.
Makerere University’s Centre for Life-Long Learning (CLL) under the College of Education and External Studies celebrated a significant milestone on January 24, 2025, as over 40 students successfully graduated with diplomas and certificates in various fields accredited by the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB).
The graduation ceremony, held at Makerere University, marked the sixth cohort to complete their academic programs at the Centre, highlighting its role in equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary for professional and personal growth.
The ceremony included a moment of pride for Namagembe Saidat, who emerged as the best-performing student. She graduated with a Diploma in Secretarial Studies, achieving an outstanding CGPA of 4.86. Saidat’s accomplishment reflects the Centre’s commitment to academic excellence and nurturing top-tier professionals.
Left to Right: Dr. Oscar Mugula, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo, Namagembe Saidat, who emerged as the best-performing student and another official pose for a group photo.
In his address, Dr. Oscar Mugula, the National Coordinator of CLL, congratulated the graduates for their resilience and hard work over the two years of study. He commended the government for revising the admission policy for diploma programs, which now requires only one principal pass instead of two. This policy adjustment, he noted, has significantly increased student enrollment and widened access to higher education opportunities.
Dr. Mugula also encouraged the graduates to register with professional bodies as technicians, emphasizing that such affiliations would enhance their employability and competitiveness in the job market.
Speaking on behalf of the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Dr. Harriet Nabushawo extended gratitude to the government, particularly the Ministry of Education and Sports, and UBTEB for entrusting CEES with the training of diverse education stakeholders. She further thanked Makerere University’s management for its unwavering support of the College’s activities and acknowledged the collaboration with the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, which provides access to laboratories and workshops essential for student training.
Dr. Nabushawo urged the graduates to consider advancing their studies by enrolling in degree programs to further enhance their qualifications. Additionally, she shared valuable life skills and encouraged the graduates to adopt a mindset of continuous learning and self-improvement to remain relevant in a dynamic labor market.
The graduation ceremony underscored the transformative impact of lifelong learning in fostering socio-economic development and empowering individuals to achieve their full potential. The Centre for Life-Long Learning continues to play a pivotal role in bridging educational gaps and promoting inclusivity in higher education.
As the graduates embark on their professional journeys, their success serves as a testament to the dedication of CLL’s faculty and staff, as well as the vital role of Makerere University in nurturing skilled professionals equipped to contribute to national development.
Congratulations to the graduates, faculty, and all stakeholders who made this milestone possible!