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RUFORUM Triennial Thought Pieces: ISSUE 07 – Prof. Theresia Nkuo-Akenji

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Operationalizing Higher Education for Innovation, Industrialization, Inclusion and Sustainable Development: Key Issues and Needed Actions to Move Africa Forward

The training delivered by many universities in Africa is not employment-oriented. There are inadequate links between training programs, capacity building, skills and the labour-market. There is therefore a growing mismatch between the needs of employers for graduates with employable skills and the skills possessed by the available workforce and job seekers. There are three key issues responsible for the mismatch. The programs are:

  • a) Not relevant to the needs of the community or not demand driven
  • b) The teaching methods are not designed to enhance creativity
  • c) Training job seekers and not entrepreneurs who will create jobs for themselves and others and hence enhance industrialization.

Relevance of Training

There is a need to transform the training and research programs in High Education Institutions (HEI) in Africa to respond to the needs of society or community. These programs need to be revised on the basis of what the community needs. To achieve this, HEIs have to work in partnership with stakeholders in their communities to assess their current and emerging needs. Research and Training programs will therefore be designed to address these issues. The research agenda will be developed through community engagement to identify challenges or problems before HEI can engage in research to come out with innovative solutions to address them. In so doing, the adoption of innovations will be greatly enhanced because they will be addressing the real needs of the community.

Enhancing Creativity

The model of teaching needs to move away from being teacher centered where students are spoon-fed to retain and reproduce information in examinations to a student-centered approach where the teacher is a facilitator or coach. This approach will enhance the creativity of students and lead to increased innovation.

There are various models that have been proposed to explain the role of education and research in the thought and development process. The pipeline or linear model in particular is based on the proposition that knowledge is the engine for economic growth thus by investing in man power development at one end of the line results in new ideas delivered at the other end of the line. This model stresses the need for a sound educational system that is not skewed towards any specific discipline but emphasizes that once knowledge is gained it can be invoked in the resolution of difficult questions in a rationale and objective manner – creative thinking! The spin-off model in a complimentary manner argues that knowledge acquired through proper training leads to innovation and the invention of products that were not the primary motive of the training. For example, a software engineer who develops a new application after training in an engineering school may eventually set up a new company to produce and distribute the application. This product was not the motivation for the training but is a by-product (spin-off) of the appropriate skills gained in the course of the training.

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Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi Appointed Acting DVC Academic Affairs

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Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, The Academic Registrar, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Academic Registrar, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi has been appointed Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Makerere University, for a period of six (6) months effective 11th July 2024 to 10th January 2025 or until a substantive First Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) is appointed whichever comes earlier.

He is a Professor of Forestry Resource Economics and served as the Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Makerere University from 2014 to October 2022. Buyinza holds a PhD in Forest Economics from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta Indonesia. He holds a number of professional enhancement certificates and Diplomas.

As Director DRGT he was charged with the oversight responsibility of all institutional research grants and graduate training in the university. Prof Buyinza served as the Deputy Director in Charge of Administration and Graduate Training (2010 – 2013); Head, Department of Community Forestry and Extension, Faculty of Forestry and Natural Resources (2003 – 2005, 2008-2010) at Makerere University.  Buyinza grew though the University ranks from a Tutorial Assistant (1993 – 1998) at Gajah Mada University, Indonesia to becoming a Lecturer (1999); Senior Lecturer (2004); Assoc. Professor (2007) and Full Professor (2010) at Makerere University.  He has over 20 years experience of University research and teaching in the field of Forestry and Natural Resource Economics.  He has successfully supervised over 50 MSc. and 10 PhD students in the fields of forestry, environment and natural resources. He has also acted as an external examiner in many regional and international universities. He is a member of many professional bodies and served as the Chairperson, Board of Directors of the National Forestry Authority (2007 – 2013). He was the Institutional Focal person (2010-2022) and Chair of the Board of Management of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), 2014 – 2018.

Buyinza has published widely in the field of forest resource economics, environmental incomes, economics of biodiversity conservation, and Environmental Incomes for Rural Income and livelihoods. He has authored more than 150 papers in International peer-reviewed referred journals, 4 book Chapters, attended more than 70 conference proceedings and has presented in more than 140 conferences/seminars/workshops.

Buyinza has built a very strong international network of collaborations in research administration and has tremendous capacity for resource mobilization. He has been Principal investigator (PI) of 15 research projects and as Co-Principal Investigator in many other institutional research grants. He is the Coordinator of various externally funded research capacity building initiatives at Makerere University. He has a wealth of research management experience with special focus on in the field of natural resources economics, and environmental governance.

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Advert: Mature Age Entry Scheme – Private Sponsorship 2024/2025

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Students sit for an exam in the pre-COVID era, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications for the Undergraduate
Programmes under the Mature Age Entry Scheme only for Private Sponsorship for
2024/2025 Academic Year.
Non-Refundable Application fee of Shs. 50,000/= for Ugandans OR $75 Equivalent for
Internationals, plus bank charge should be paid in any of the banks used by Uganda
Revenye Authority after generating a Payment Reference Number (PRN).

  • Apply using the Institution’s Applications Portal URL:https: //apply.mak.ac.ug
  • Application is for candidates who passed the Mature Age Entry Examinations of December 17, 2022 and February 24, 2024 only.
  • Any candidate who passed the examinations in mentioned above and was not admitted on Government/ Private sponsorship for December 17, 2022 sitting, and for Government sponsorship for February 24, 2024 sitting, is eligible to apply for admission on Private Sponsorship for 2024 /2025 Academic Year.

The closing date for applying will be Friday 26th July, 2024.

Further details can be accessed by following this link.

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

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Diploma/Degree Holders Admission Lists 2024/25

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Main Library, Makerere University. Photo taken on 29th February 2016.

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Diploma/Degree Holder applicants admitted under Private/Self Sponsorship for the academic year 2024/25. Please note that admission is subject to verification of academic documents by the awarding institutions.

The admission list is displayed here below:

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